Rolling...rolling...rolling down the river

This weekend, I went on my first rafting trip and definitely not my last. It was SO, SO awesome! I enjoyed every exhilarating moment.

We drove out to Auburn area on Friday night and camped. We got there and I pretty much passed out. You see, the girls partied like rock stars the night before at Cat Club.

Go time the following day was at 7am. The rafting company drove us out about an hour and fifteen minutes to our launch area. Got to the spot and one of the guide gave us a quick orientation about paddling and other safety precautions. Mostly common sense stuff like don't try to jump on other people's boat or don't touch rafts with other people because that's how babies are made...lol! j/k...

Our guide was this 20 year old kid. He was pure entertainment. This kid is so well traveled that he puts to shame some of the 40 year olds I know that have never even left California let alone know where Auburn, CA is. Shameful, I know :(

We rafted down the Middle Fork of the American River. It was so beautiful. I am kicking myself for not getting one of those water camera...dang it! Oh well...

From the parking lot, we geared up and then carried our raft down the river. There were six of us on the raft plus our guide on the very back, steering.

I initially sat in the middle, right behind Brian, the Gentle Giant (he is about 6'3). Right off the bat, the first rapid that we went through was called the "Good Morning" rapid.

The water temperature was about 56 degrees, it was still fairly early so there was still a cold brisk in the air. As we went through the first rapid, Brian slipped off his seat, almost lost his paddle and tilted far back that he almost knocked me off the raft. "Good Morning" rapid indeed!

Needless to say that as soon as we got to the calmer part of the water, I immediately moved to the very back of the raft :D

We rafted a total of 15 miles down the river on the intermediate level. Which meant that the rapids were faster and the drops higher. We stopped halfway through and had lunch. It was included in our day trip package.

There were parts of the river that they called swimmers rapids, so once in a while we would all jump off the raft and let the current carry us downstream. I was hesitant in the beginning to get in the water but after we went through the "Jungle" rapid, I jumped in the water so fast you think I was swimming for my life!

"Jungle" rapid consisted of ducking really low in the raft and pretty much covering our head to make sure that we didn't get smack in the face with a tree branch. The rapid was fast, the tree branches were low and not to mention spider infested!!!!!

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! We got through the jungle, I got back on the side of the raft, ready to paddle and I felt something crawling up my leg. I got up and sure enough there was a spider half way up my right leg...........HOLY HELL! I shrieked so loud it must have echoed all the way down Folsom lake where the lake and the river eventually converges.

I looked around the raft and there were creepy crawlies all over! So, I jumped in the water to get all the spiders off of me....UGH!

Other than that, everything else was amazing! I will do it again and again and again in a heartbeat. I will however skip the "Jungle" rapid next time around.

Our day ended at about 4pm and the van was waiting for us with cold soda and chocolate bars. It was the perfect snack after a long day of rafting. The ride back to our campsite was about 45 minutes long. We were wiped out but still sporting the perma-grin.

I got back to town earlier this afternoon and took a nap for 3 hours. It felt so good to lay down on my bed, tucked in my comforter with Classical music lulling me to sleep. I love the outdoors and I love camping but man! I'm sore from paddling and sleeping on the ground and constantly thinking that a spider is about to attack me or a frog is going to jump in my sleeping bag.

It was nice to get away from the City. It's exactly what I needed but it's definitely good to be home.

Whitewater Excitement:

http://www.whitewaterexcitement.com/california-rivers/middle-fork

Found pics online:

http://www.hotshotimaging.com/rafting/dspboats.php?PHPSESSID=8cd558a270c71c1605cb65200af919d6









Happy Camper,
Jakey

So You Think You Can Dance?

Think again!

This is the funniest thing I have seen in a while...

My bestie Lianne posted this originally and I absolutely have to share with you.

The mascot is called Jollibee which is also the name of the fast food chain in the Philippines. Their HUGE back there. So big that they actually introduced themselves to the US a few years ago and now have a few franchises throughout California. Pretty impressive for the dancing bee!

I grew up eating Jollibee food and have gone to several birthday parties and celebrated mine there as well. I've never interacted with the mascot though because I was always scared of him (*_*)

Yesterday was my mom's 56th birthday. I took the day off and spent a glorious day with her. My mom is my ultimate best friend. There is nothing she does not know about me and still loves me unconditionally.

We had a fun day running around the city. We started off at the Ferry Building. We bought bread from Acme Bread and cheese from Cow Girl Creamery and had lunch overlooking the bay.

Afterwards, I surprised her with an afternoon tea at The Rotunda at Nieman Marcus. It was divine!

We also did a bit of retail therapy and squeezed in happy hour at Straits Cafe in the mall.

Because you are my mom you loved me before I was ever seen
You thanked God for this miracle, this little human being
So exciting, yet fragile it all must have seemed to you then
Hearing my little heart beat inside you, now life begins

Because you are my mom no pain was too great for you to bear
Now you’re a mother and I your child with joys and pains to share
And so into this world my life began each breath now on my own
One day we will look back at just how much I’ve grown

Because you are my mom you worried for me within your every bone
You finally let go of my little hand to take my first steps on my own

Because you are my mom you showed me through the years
To care about others and their feelings and the things that they hold dear

Because you are my mom you taught me right from wrong
Understanding that my faith in God will forever keep me strong
Showing me that being my own person is the only tool I’ll need
When morals and values are your foundation to succeed

Because you are my mom you loved me enough to also be my friend
You would be right there in ways that no one could see or ever comprehend
When there was no way I thought you could ever understand
There you would be, non-judging and willing to lend a hand

Because you are my mom, God’s gift to me was you
As your daughter I will always love you and promise to be true
I thank you for so many things and will try to never make you sad or blue

Because you are my mom, and one-day I will be a mother too
I pray I never forget all that you’ve been through
I am your daughter and in your image I am proud to be
By the grace of the Lord you were created, and then I came to be

Bust a move,
Jakey

The Love from Above

I know, I know I'm a poop. No excuses...

But I've got some great news to share...

My work transfer to the City finally came through! Its a complete departure from what I used to do even though I'm still with the same company. It feels so good to be doing something else. I was feeling really burnt out in my last role that I felt like a robot and very uninspired.

I can't even begin to describe the relief that I feel not having to commute anymore. I now walk to work (^_^) Yeay!

I went from working all by myself to interacting with at least 30+ people a day. Its a bit of an adjustment but one that is very welcomed.

Check out the view from my office window...





And the view from the lunch spot...

I'm thoroughly enjoying my first summer in the city. Hitting up almost all of the street festivals, going to happy hours with friends, meeting new people, eating yummy food.

BoSox at AT&T Park - Friday night game



Hiking at Lands End



My chemical romance



Sharing is caring:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMmTZy3YsmE

This little blogger of yours is going through some learning curves right now. Some really tough and unforgiving curves but I'm keeping myself together in the best way I know how. I'm pulling from all the wisdom and strength I can muster. I'm confused, I'm humbled, I'm at a loss, for now...

In Faith,
J

The Attitude of Gratitude

A week ago, this little blogger of yours turned 32. It's been a while since I celebrated my birthday locally. I'm normally always getting to or jetting to. This year, I stayed put and had a super-duper great time with friends, family, beloved, my neighbors pets and just about anyone who was at the Cat Club last Thursday :D


So first off...what's up with the weather! Is it always like this? I normally go to warm, tropical places so this is somewhat shocking to me. My heater is still on all night at home and my Hello Kitty pajamas are working overtime.


The festivities started on Wednesday night with my family. It was a double celebration. My niece had her Church Confirmation and I was her sponsor. Afterwards the fam had a delish dinner...

Then on the actual day, I spent a glorious day with my mom running around like kids in the city. I loved every minute of it! The highlight of my day was definitely the Peter Pan show. How ironic right? My mom took me to see Peter Pan and I never want to grow up and be a boring adult :D

The show was uber cool. They have a tent at the Ferry Park right across from the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero. The set up is much like the Cirque du Soleil show. Inside were bleacher seats. They had scenes projected up on the dome part of the tent. The flying scene was my favorite. The projection was that of Peter Pan and the Darling's (Wendy, Michael and John) flying above London then Paris and finally Neverland. They had to pretend to dodge the walls of L'Arc de Triomphe, fly under the Tower of London and swim under water to get to Neverland. The actors were harnessed on this super thin rope which was hardly a distraction. It was perfect and SO, SO Cool!

Afterwards, my bestest girlfriends and I partied it up at the Cat Club. It was Thursday night hence it was Retro in the Metro with 80's music, Yeah! I had such a blast ending the day/night on a high note.





Complete pics here:


http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMmTZy3YshY&emid=shareprintsharer&linkid=link5&cid=EM_sharshar

Life is full of little moments. I want to be immersed in the present for only then can I be present for you.

Live a life of appreciation versus depreciation. Embrace what you have and ask for nothing more than you need. Enhance life's little encounters by conciously deciding to be in the moment.

I thank the Powers be that I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. To be present for my beloveds.

When all is said and done, now is all there is, and all there ever has been.




Peter: Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again.


Wendy: Never is an awfully long time.



In Joy, In Spirit, In Love,

Baywatch to Bay2Breakers

Last Sunday I took part in probably one of the craziest event in the City - Bay to Breakers. It was a lot of fun. The girls and I joined the Baywatch float. For a mere $15, we got 10 canned beers, 6 jello shots, a back-pack full of goodies and countless laughs along the way.

We started at the corner of 1st and Howard and walked all the way to the Pan Handle and finally to Golden Gate Park. Since the parade went through my neighborhood, we also stopped at my humble abode for a pit stop :)

Up and at 'em at 7:30am



Amela, Nancy, T & Me






The outfits posed a lot of hilarious lines -

"I'm concussed, can you CPR me?"

"You took my breath away, can I have it back? "

"I think Baywatch is such a hit here because of the weather"... lol! it was cloudy and windy that day :D

Complete pics here:

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMmTZy3YseK

I heart Ringpop!

May the 4th be with you...

Two months ago, I went on a mini road trip with my dear friend Marge and her little one, Ginger. We drove from California to Oregon and finally to Seattle. I like Seattle. I've been there a handful of times and it's definitely a city that I don't mind going back to again and again.

I also had the opportunity to visit Victoria, British Columbia again. I love it up there. It's so beautiful! It reminds me so much of Bath, England.

We took the ferry from downtown Seattle to Victoria, B.C. Due to time constraints on my end, we were only able to do a day trip but it was still so much fun none the less.

Jaywalking in Seattle is deadly...

Ferry Terminal in Seattle. That's the Victoria Clipper boat that took us to Canada.

The Empress Hotel - I stayed here with my mom a few years back. It's so beautiful inside and its definitely worth shelling out the extra bucks to stay here. So pretty!

Complete pics here:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=b02fe034f0174101bcfd7207a7b1fe91&sid=0MaMmTZy3YscC

It has been a glorious couple of weekends in the city. I am thoroughly enjoying living here. Pretty soon, I will enjoy working here as well. I have a transfer in the works. Wish me luck bloggies!

Hung out at Washington Square park after my Farmer's Market walk on Saturday -

Azmeera's hood has the best cupcake place called "That Takes the Cake"

I got 3 cupcakes for myself - Orange Zinger, Green Tea Cherry Blossom and Neopolitan...Yum!

We love cupcakes but We love each other more...

May the 4th be with you,

Wedded Bliss

The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you,

not knowing how blind that was.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere,

they're in each other all along.


From Essential Rumi


What an amazing weekend. I have been putting off publishing this post for the past couple of days because I could not come up with anything eloquent or articulate to describe how wonderful Saturday's wedding was. I am humbled and moved by all the love and positive energy reverberating from every person who attended the wedding.

So I've decided to just post photos in hopes of conveying the most beautiful wedding I had the honor of being a part of.


Friday - 04/23

Off to the flower market to buy the flowers for the bouquets and center pieces.




We were running around pretty much all day and finishing up last minute details. In the afternoon, we all had our mani/pedi done. We also had a psychic do a Tarot and Palm reading.

That was interesting...She told me that I will be meeting someone or have met someone already and it will be fate that will bring us together.....hmmmm...maybe I did meet that person already....more of this in future blogs...








Saturday - 04/24

Rise and shine at 6:30am to get all dolled up for the day. My super talented girlfriend Bobbie who is a Make-up Artist extraordinaire /Photographer/Awesome Mom, did everyone's make-up that day.






The weather was perfect. Sunny with a cool breeze coming from the bay. It did get a little too hot at one point and everyone got burned including myself. I'm already naturally tan so I did not think about putting on any sunblock. My shoulders were burned crisp for the next two days. Its in the itchy stage now so in about a day or two, it should start peeling :)




Limo ride from the apartment out to Crissy Field

The leaning tower of Groom and his men...

The cake turned out so beautiful!

Flavor - lemon on the bottom 2 and raspberry on top.

During one of my Farmer's Market Saturday walk, Azmeera and Tanya joined me. We saw these kids performed and we were completely enamored. Azmeera ended up hiring them to play the drums for about 15 minutes. It was the neatest thing. These kids are uber cute. They also do a little dance routine as they rocked out with their drums.

This chick did 3 dances - 2 Hula and 1 Tahitian. I had so much fun! I've danced in a lot of wedding, b-day parties and anniversaries before and this tops off everything. If this was the last time I would have performed, then I am perfectly content in retiring :)

They also hired this band to play rock-a-billy songs and other folk/country music. I still have grass stains on my feet from dancing to their music. They also found them at the Saturday, Farmer's Market.

The evening after party was held at 111 Minna (Art Gallery by day and Awesome club at night). The theme for the evening was 80's music...Yeay!

They had a free photobooth set up at the club. So fun!

Sunday - 04/25

Azmeera's parents hosted a luncheon the day after the wedding. More yummy food and good company to be had.

I know what your thinking.....

"The Hangover", It's the dude from the movie right? I know, but no!!!

His name is Joel. He's just as hilarious as Zack Galifianakis. At any given moment he would just bust out with songs or say the funniest things. If all goes well between him and Tanya, which I hope it does, we might have another wedding coming up pronto ;-)

His Wolfpack has grown by one... lol!

Complete wedding photos here:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=d6349aba0d7bcdfc&sid=0MaMmTZy3YsYw

Dance videos here:

http://s760.photobucket.com/albums/xx248/smlwndr520/?action=view&current=IpoLeiMomi.flv

http://s760.photobucket.com/albums/xx248/smlwndr520/?action=view&current=TropicalBaby.flv

http://s760.photobucket.com/albums/xx248/smlwndr520/?action=view&current=Otea36.flv

Hang Ten,