Fall 2012 TV

Sooooo excited!  It's that time again:  FALL TV LINE-UP 2012!!!

Every year, I get excited for the new shows.... even though less than 1/2 of them stick around....
Let's just get to it-  my 8 top choices for new shows this year:

1- Mob Doc
2- Partners
3- Go On
4- The New Normal
5- 666 Park
6- Nashville
7- Emily Owens MD
8- Made in Jersey

I admit, nothing smashing or any really great hits (like Revenge and Scandal from last year!), but some fun options thrown in there.

Mob Doc- I love Jordan Spiro from an old fave- "My Boys" (RIP)
Partners- Sophia Bush moving on from "One Tree Hill" (also RIP)
Go On- Anything with Matthew Perry is good with me (nothing has stuck since "Friends")
Normal- Getting the most hype- banned in Utah!
Emily Owens- I really like Meryl Streep's daughter Mamy Gummer- although her pilots never seem to stick


Looks like most start on the 11th- soon!
And I would be remiss if I did not mention the return if some goodies this year (along with Revenge & Scandal)..... just to name a few:

2 Broke Girls
Parenthood
New Girl
Modern Family
Hart of Dixie
Good Wife
Up All Night
Big Bang Theory

Thank you, thank you, thank you.... DVR!!!!  Love, love, love my TV!!!
Oh- and the Emmy's September 23!

PARK CITY!!!!

Whenever people find out I own a (small second) home in Park City, they always ask if I ski.  And the answer is always no.  I started to love Park City because of the Sundance Film Festival held every January (which of course is still the main reason!), but over the past 3 years, I have come to love so much more.  I had one of the best weekends here last week and I was just thinking about what I truly love about it here:

PARK CITY!!!

In the Summer....

Sunshine and mountain air
Sushi  and martinis outdoors at Blind Dog (although I do miss the fondue from the winter)
Hot air balloons that lift up outside my window in the morning (like right now!)
Park City has a Whole Foods
Silver Mountain Gym & Spa with a fab outdoor pool and BBQ (love that smell while at the pool!)
Vanessa who does my luxurious facials at Silver Mountain
A great outlet mall
A Massage Envy
Kneaders for delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, breads, desserts....
Rides and fun at Park City Mountain Resort
Many hiking trails
Chipmunks and cute little critters everywhere
Park Silly Market every Sunday
Main Street Trolley
A do-it-yourself recycling center that make you feel like your are saving the planet one piece at a time
Many Summer concerts (although no Goo Goo Dolls this year..... sad)
Shopping on Main Street when it's warm.... and ending with Java Cow ice cream- yum!
Outdoor eating on Main Street on the temporary outdoor patios they set-up on the street
Art Fairs every once and awhile

Ok, I think that's plenty. I simply love it here.  Cannot get enough of it.  Guess it's good I bought a place here:)
Thanks Park City, Utah for making me smile every time I take the exit off of I-80.

If You're Happy And You Know It....

Clap your hands.... I know

But that's not what I am talking about today.  Talking about being happy and what makes you happy. I know I am kind of a dork, but I keep lists of everything.  To-do list, budget list, medical check-ups, friends I need to see/call, places I want to visit, movies I want to see.... pretty much everything.

2 of my my favorites- I track days I exercise and days I am happy. Of course, there is a correlation.  Usually days I work out, I am happy. Imagine that.  And when I get enough sleep. And when I eat healthy.  Just the way it is.

I was thinking about this because someone asked me what the "smiley faces" were on the upper right hand corner of my Franklin organizer pages (yes, I still use a paper organizer- can't function without it- can't use the electronic version that I should these days- paper still works for me).  That is how I "list" my good and bad days.  Smiley faces for the good days and frowny faces for the  days that were not that great or just down right horrible. 

The good news is, there always seem to be a ton more smiley faces than frowny faces.  I would say, on average, about 2-3 frowny faces a month.  Good news- it's August 26th and zero frowny faces in 26 days- that is a very good thing.  I have also exercised 18 days thus far this month. Another good thing.

The point is, we create our own happiness.  Yep, there are some things we cannot control, but for the most part, we make the decisions that create our mood, our happiness in life.  I guess I just choose to be happy.  As much as I can.  Music, movies, sunshine, my kitty, wine... all that helps too.

If you're happy and you know stomp your feet!!!! :)

More Vegas

Yep, in Vegas again....  seems like I have been here more often lately.  This time was also a combo of work and fun.  Work is over. Fun is here.  Just a quick update on the adventures thus far....In bullet point/question form as usual:

*  Why would a hotel elevator smell like mashed potatoes?
*  Is it a Vegas law that overweight girls must wear clothes 1-2 sizes to small?
*  Does a "long shirt" automatically count as a "dress" on the Strip?
*  Why aren't all Starbucks in the world open 24 hours?
*  Is it just me, or is Criss Angel over-the-top in love with himself?
*  Is there really such a thing as "dry heat" at 110 degrees?
*  What is the Sugar Factory thinking when they post pictures of "celebrity endorsements? The Situation?  Really?
*  Is it necessary for every casino bar to have a dancer's crotch at face level (bar top) after 10PM? Note to self:  shy away from those bars!
*  Following in Criss Angel's footsteps, while in the taxi, listening to Steve Wynn, can he really be involved with every single thing in Vegas and is he really "good friends" with every famous person who ever stepped foot on Vegas soil?
*  What is a "resort fee" anyway? I don't see any resorts on the Strip.

Ok, enough negativity:

*  Unexpected, the steakhouse at Treasure Island, TENDER, was delish!  Yum!
*  Criss Angel was entertaining- how DOES he do that!?
*  My first ROYAL FLUSH. Ever.
*  Cupcakes everywhere
*  Hotel gyms are still nice in Vegas
*  Never bored. Never.
*  TI has VERY comfy beds


Yep- still lots of fun to be had in Sin City.  Keeping it clean, my friends, but having fun with my ladies/

Some Pics...

Just some random pics from the past few weeks... or months....

John & Robyn's wedding in San Francisco

My 40th birthday party with Julie Hess

Deidra & Jarrod at my party

Andi & Mark with new little Noah Guitar Dewes

Some of my work team in Las Vegas

Christine Ellering, me and Lori Ellering in Wine Country

Just the grapes

Food, Grub, Time to Nosh

Yep, it's a food post.  It's what people joke about Facebook posts: here is what I am having for dinner.  Joke all you want- I have had some pretty awesome food adventures as of late.  Wanna hear? If not, don't read me :)

Let's start a few days ago....
Saturday in Wine Country with the girls
          Pork tenderloin and spicy corn at Dry Creek Kitchen
                    Ok, PT is a staple for me, but this one was amazing- spicy corn was a great accompaniment
          Cranberry, veggie & wild rice salad from Big Jim's Market
                    Unexpected gem!  Tasty
          Tortilla crusted tilapia with a little asparagus from the grocery store made at home
                     Cooked anyway, delish!
          Cheerios and organic berries & organic milk at home
                     Ok., simple, but how can you possibly go wrong here?
          Finally, happy dance.....   Whole Foods had Coconut Tapioca pudding tonight.....  yum, yum


I have not been this thrilled about food in quite some time. Healthy, delicious.  Good stuff. 
Great restaurants.  Fresh grocery stores.  Love it.
And I did mention the other day, I am obsessed with Kind Almond & Coconut bars. So good!

Yes, I am in love with my food. It could be worse...... Not as expensive as my shoes :)

A Little Bit of Everything

Finished up work, watching "Royal Pains" on DVR and pondering what has transpired over the past 9 days.  Good stuff.  Here goes:

* I still will never quite get over the goofy way planes must fly in & out of Orange County
* I don't believe, no matter how much I try, I will ever be as pretty as the people of The OC
* A girl can never have enough sparkling wine
* There really is not such thing as a bad cupcake
* Try new things-don't just say you will- trying actually makes life more fun
* Sleep is NOT overrated
* Believe it or not,Carl's Jr.has the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had- yum!
* Milk does a body good, but exercise does it even better
* This is nothing much better than fun in wine country
* I take that back....  watching Olympic gymnastics come close
* Play outside of your "comfort zone"- you never know how fun it really can be
* I confess that "Call Me, Maybe" is quite catchy... cheeky, but catchy
* Multiple compliments on my shoes never gets old

Yep, that should do it for now.  Just a small list of rambling topics that have been part of my life this past week or so.
Have a super, duper Monday.

Olympics and More Olympics

Oh, how I love a little competition.  And right now, that competition is the Summer Olympic games!  For me, specifically women's gymnastics and men's swimming- those are my faves. Just hunkered down to watch a little swimming tonight- and some men's team gymnastics while I am at it.  I guess I can take in a little beach volleyball too :)  How can you not be a fan of Misti May and Kerri?

But, women's gymnastics has my heart. So fun. Later this week. 
But another thing I LOVE about Park City.... the Summer skiers on the jumps into the water are fun to watch- and even cooler WHILE the actual Summer games are going on in London. Wow.  So cool.  Watched some with Mom & Dad while they visited last Summer, but these were better and special due to the Olympics taking place. A little winter games protrayed in the Summer in Park City. Gotta love it.

I was in Minnesota (can you say hot & humid!?) the past 2 weeks and now relaxing in Park City before I head to LA (or Newport Beach to be exact) for the week for work.  Right now-
Workout- check
Massage- check
Skiers- check
Now.... sitting on the couch, wine in hand, and Olympics games night 1 on the TV.  Thanks for hosting, Bob Costas.
Ahhhhh......

That's all for now. Enjoy the games.  Enjoy your weekend.
Go USA!!!

Perfect Weekends!

When I travel most of the week for work (So Cal last week and on the plane- thanks Delta for the 1st class!- to Minneapolis right now for this coming week), I sure like to take advantage of fun and/or relaxation on the weekends. This past (current) weekend was no exception.  This was one the good ones!

Friday night- tasty, healthy dinner at a new restaurant in Walnut Creek with my friend Jennifer followed by the eye-candy of "Magic Mike" on the silver screen. Yum (both the food and the movie!)

Saturday day- sleep in, exercise, watch TV, do "stuff"around the house.....   just lazy enough

Saturday night- Wine country; in this case last minute change of plans for an evening of cocktails and dinner at The Carneros Inn on Old Sonoma Highway- with my friend Jen (yes, Friday was Jennifer and Saturday was Jen).  Superb!

Sunday- exercise and prep to head to Minnesota for the week. While I don't really care to fly on Sunday for work, the good news is the opportunity to have dinner with another friend, Kari, upon arrival. Makes cutting the weekend short worthwhile.

Perfect combo weekend of everything I love!  And great company too. While I may complain a tad about having to travel so much for work, it really makes me NOT take advantage of the free time on the weekends.  Makes life worth living- and living it WELL!

I hope your weekend is just a grand!

The Joy That Is San Francisco

I am sitting here, typical Sunday... load of laundry in, laptop on lap, TV on, Casey napping by my feet....  yes, very typical Sunday...playing around on the Internet.  My goal today was to find all kinds of fun things to do in August and September in the Bay area. Wow!  I cannot believe how much fun stuff (much of it FREE) there is to do!?

Here is a sample:
Alley art fairs
Farmer's markets
Movies in Parks
Drive-In movies
Museums
Wine events (go figure)
Cooking events (a girl's gotta eat!)
Comedy shows
Boat trips

So much and so little time. Just recently, I finished rounding out July (and some of August) and now I am ready to move onto the next few months.

July has....

Trying new restaurants in the East Bay (thanks Jennifer!)
More wine events (thanks Jen!)
Concerts (thanks Vanessa and Rudy!)
And, of course, relaxation in Park City (thanks mountains!)

All of this, while I travel tons for work.  As you know, no travel this past week- but tons of work travel to come for the next 8 weeks. Nature of the job- hence the reason I love to plan as much "fun stuff" on weekends as possible.

In the words of the Bay area band "Train"..... thanks to the Bay... "Save me, San Francisco"! Yes, you do.
It's expensive here, but how can you NOT love it!? :) And remember, much of this is FREE!