House Mouse and 1020

Eddie was awoken at 11:45p by an unexpected visitor, a house mouse we would eventually name Marvin. A curious mouse, he snuck in through the spare bathroom and ran onto Eddie's flip flop, before scurrying back into the bathroom only to peer his tiny head from the doorway once again. All this happened unbeknownst to me who was sound asleep. A few hours later and numerous articles on the internet, Eddie had become an overnight expert on house mice, lining the bottom of the bathroom door with a towel to trap him temporarily. Apparently, Marvin works pretty hard, because by the next day, he had managed to leave wood shavings from an attempt to break into the kitchen. He'd been working all night. Thankfully, Eddie has a heart for animals and so we found a humane trap, filled it with peanut butter (a house mouse favorite) and the next day, Eddie released the mouse out on a grassy field 200 ft away from the house. Marvin was free at last.

Besides a visit from our furry friend, we finished the inaugural 1020 Race today in Del Mar today. Yes, we still run, despite the absence of blog posts lately. It was a cool, misty morning that became a gorgeous sunny afternoon. As Eddie and I discussed our run today over a meal we could not agree to call breakfast or lunch, we felt grateful that it was a 10 mi race today and not a half marathon, we both agreed it was a well run race and felt fortunate to live in such a fantastic spot for running, and we were proud of our achievement but recognized the need to be more disciplined about our training.

Pros
Well-organized
Timely start
Efficient parking
Fantastic medal - the largest medal we've earned to date
Quality tech shirt
Plentiful bands on the course (unlike the Rock n Roll races which seem to spread out)
Unlimited portions of goodies post race (tangerines, bananas, peanut butter crackers, fruit chews, water)
Clean bathrooms - what treat to use real bathrooms at the Del Mar fairgrounds
Flat course except for a few hills

Cons
Loop course (this is only my comment - Eddie likes loop courses but I find these boring)
1-2 more water stations (one water station had no cups)
Lack of music at the start of the race
Expo was a snoozer with only 8 vendors, but I think that will change in the coming years
 

Where's Waldo? Can you find us in this photo?

At the finish line

Eddie's 40th Birthday - Special Guests Elvis and Jerry Rice

We had an incredible kick-off to Eddie's 40th. First, we somehow managed to choreograph a successful surprise party. Thankfully, I had a lot of great helpers that kept our plan mum. He was shocked! Elvis paid a visit to the party and very appropriately sang, "Viva Las Vegas" since we were leaving that day at 12:30p for our flight. 40ish friends and work colleagues shared in the celebration. It was a blast for everyone. For the birthday boy, he was sincerely surprised and so touched that all the managers had chipped in for the Elvis surprise. We ate a little at our potluck, but then we had to leave to head to Vegas! I had planned the trip as a surprise gift, but he already knew. However, he didn't know I hired a sleek sedan to pick us up at the airport - total surprise. We weren't disappointed once we arrived either. We won $400 in the first few minutes on a slot machine. Better yet, the next day after my run, I decided to take a walk. I saw a sign that Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver of all time, was signing autographs in 15 minutes at a store in the hotel. What?! I walked there, and sure enough, there he was! Thankfully, Eddie had woken up in his nap and headed down to meet him together. We had a wonderful trip and it's not even Eddie' real b-day yet.

Eddie walks in and SURPRISE!

Elvis singing "Viva Las Vegas" and Eddie sitting center front.

Elvis working the room.

Eddie sang "Hound Dog" and pictured here strutting some moves.

Now Eddie's really in the groove.

I was giddy when presenting Eddie his b-day cake.

Our guests cheering Eddie on!

Eddie's 40th - a totally unforgettable event!

Elvis and us.

Jerry Rice and us.

Simba - The Lost Dog

On Saturday mornings, I meet with my awesome running coach for longer runs. This weekend, we met up at Rancho Santa Fe, a quiet slightly inland community lined with trees, rolling hills, and soft dirt terrain. We finished our 9 mi run when a dog with a collar stopped to stare at us. Initially, I thought perhaps it's owner was around the corner, but when the dog stopped by again, it was clear that she was lost. I called to her, and she came to immediately. She had a collar, but no tag. As soon as I opened the car door, she jumped right into the passenger seat. Dogs can get fearful if they're in a small space, so as I reached for my GPS, she barked at me. My running coach and I tried to get her to the back with no success. Fortunately, a nice man walked by with a rottweiler who graciously assisted us with coaxing her to the back where I could safely enter my car and drive her to the Human Society. I met up with what looked like a Pet Police Officer who knew the dog since this was the second time she was lost. Simba also had a chip so they could identify her and the owner. I hope her owner takes better care of her this time. I didn't' eat until 2 hours after the ordeal and had to detail my car and return the leash borrowed by the man with the rottweiler. Boy what a day. In between, I made a pot roast in the slow cooker, which turned out fantastic.

Simba, 11yrs old

A Merry Christmas with Mom and Eddie

Eddie and I attended Christmas Eve Mass last night followed an entertaining Thai food dinner. The entertainment portion was us trying to test our abilities to tackle the chili sauces and peppers on the table. The endorphin rush was fun, and we couldn't stop laughing, because it was so hot. Upon my mom's arrival on Christmas day, we whisked her away to dim sum, where there was no wait. This could be a future holiday tradition. We opened a ton of gifts. This was my first Christmas meal I prepared since Eddie moved to SD that I'm proud of. Everything turned out great and finished cooking at the same time. Mom and I are off to a workout, massage, and shopping tomorrow. Fortunately, mom brought some food so I'm off from cooking tomorrow. Saturday, we have plans to see Wolf of Wall Street, a movie Eddie's been wanting to see for a long time.

Our Holiday Menu:

• Cheese, Summer Sausage, Red Grapes, Crackers
• Turkey Legs
• Glazed Ham
• Stuffing
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Roasted Celery, Carrots, Onions
• Jasmine Rice
• Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• Crescent Rolls
• Egg Custard Pie

Drinks:

• De Margerie Grand Cru Brut - a gift from colleague - everyone raved about this champagne
• Martinelli's Apple Cider - my personal favorite

Mom, Eddie, and the Feast

The Story of Our Engagement

It's been really busy, but there's no excuse for not sharing the story of our engagement. Eddie planned a weekend getaway, but wouldn't disclose where we were headed. I had been suffering from bronchitis for a month so I was glad to enjoy some rest and relaxation. While Eddie pretended to get lost, he turned into the Pelican Hill Resort, a luxurious resort I had visited for a work event. I told him it was amazing, and it did not fall short of our expectations. Quiet, exclusive, and pristine, it was a world away from everything - the perfect place for a proposal.


Our first night - little did I know, this is Eddie's first time tasting mochi ice cream but also his last night as a unengaged man.

My Aunt Tina and Aunt Karen with Hercules celebrating St. Patrick's Day the with no idea what was planned. Only my Dad knew and like a gentleman, Eddie asked him in advance. Dad was overjoyed and said "yes" right away.

We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant.

We had a complimentary dessert sampler to end the meal. How grand is this? After dinner, he asked if we could take a walk. Since I was sick, I was reluctant, but somehow he convinced me to go along.

 It was dark outside and it felt like there was no one else outside except for us. We ended up here at the Rotunda. With no one else in sight, Eddie bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said "yes"!





We finished an entire bottle of champagne and called our loved ones. First bling shot ever.

As you can see from our balcony the next day, everything looked a little bit brighter. An unforgettable weekend and a new future together never looked better.



Holiday Kick Off

Our holiday kick off began with our company holiday party at the Estancia in La Jolla. We gave the night high marks based on good food, and a great table of friends, plus I won a drawing two years in a row  - this year a $50 gift certificate to Flemings. Score! Eddie hinted that it would be great to kick off the holiday season with a Christmas show. So taking note, I surprised him with tickets to a  local theatre production, Humbug, The Holiday Spectacular, a musical play sure to cheer up any humbuger. There's more to come with a Christmas Eve Mass and Mom arriving in SD on Christmas Day.

Two surprises came early - we received a beautiful flower arrangement from Patricia and Dougie! Thank you - they are perfect on our table! Then I had a visit from my college buddy Khanh. After a fabulous 7.5 mi run with my running coach, we headed to Phil's BBQ and couldn't resist ordering pork AND beef ribs. Another bonus of running besides the endorphin rush is that food just tastes really really good!  I was in BBQ bliss. With Eddie back from his business trip and home for a while, we're looking to hunker down for the holidays. I'm looking forward to making my turkey chili sometime this week, opening gifts, and spending time with Mom.

Before the play...a holiday humbug.



After the play...filled with holiday cheer.

We danced all night - Me, Katrina, Tiffany, Nicole, Sally, Diana (missing in action)

My friend Grace and I at our company Christmas party. Our glamour shot.

That thing in the middle is ONE beef rib. Holy cow!

Can you believe we ate most of this? Check out the onion rings on the right. HUGE!

At Sushi, so glad my Eddie could meet my college buddy.

Beautiful Christmas Centerpiece from Patricia and Dougie! What a nice surprise.

Gifts are looking pretty under the tree...I spy a Tiffany's bag...

An East Coast Thanksgiving

On our many drives, on our way to work, on our way from work, to Eddie's parents, back to Monica's and Jason's, Eddie would remark, "Could you have ever predicted that you would be here on Staten Island with your fiancé?" Nope, not a million years. It was a fast and furious trip as usual, filled with lots of food and laughter of course. Although, it's difficult not to be cracking jokes with Eddie (and that would be x 2 when we're in NY). It was a whirlwind, but such a memorable trip complete with a home cooked meal prepared by Monica and Jason, to a delicious Thanksgiving feast where everyone contributed. Eddie and I basically contributed to the eating part. I guess that's the good thing about visiting from of town. While we had planned on visiting the city on our last day, the cold weather motivated us to watch a movie instead. I always knew Eddie loved me, but on this trip, I must say he proved it again when he agreed to run outside in 25 degree weather. It was rough. Well, this west coast gal learned something on this trip! Go the gym instead on days like this.

We always seem to begin our NY trip at the same place, a bagel shop.

The size of this bagel is unbelievable.



Celebrating at his 75th birthday party, Dad is engaging the crowd with a story.

"And then the cop saw the photo of the bunny, and decided I was harmless...." You had to be there.

A lovely trio.

The Harr Family - Monica, Snoopy, Jason

Italian subs, caprese salad, mixed salad, pasta salad, mac and cheese, meatballs with Dougie first in line.

 

The Original Mauriellos

Wow, thanks for the Devil's Food cake! What's everyone else having?



Dougie providing his expert advice on turkey carving. Eddie pretending to listen.

Cousin Ava, Dougie, Patrica.

Who knew he was so handy around the kitchen?

 

Sisters Michelle and Monica looking festive for the holidays.

Dad, Aunt Carol, Mom

Somehow Eddie scored first class tickets user saver award miles. I'm still not sure how he was able to do this.

Since we're on an international airplane, this flight had pods as seats that allow you to lie down while you sleep.

 

Two big televisions - Eddie was in absolute bliss.

We returned to a beautiful San Diego sunset and the side of Eddie's face.