MrAndrewBradley

Photo Shoot at The Meritage Resort and a New Addition to the Office

2013-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday and Thursday were a little busy. Wednesday started out at 4 a.m. working for a client on the East Coast and then I was off to a meeting with a new client in Loomis. After the meeting I took the back roads to Lincoln for some new scenery before taking a friend to the airport. In an effort to keep going new directions, I headed north to the Woodland Costco for gas and In-N-Out for lunch on my way to Napa.

Once in Napa I kept working and got ready for a late night photo shoot with Rex Gelert and Rystar Productions of The Meritage Resort and Spa's main lobby. By about 2 a.m. we had finished our main shoot in the lobby and a couple other quick pictures. Thursday morning we took his new helicopter out that was equipped with a GoPro and took a few aerial pictures of the resort in an effort to capture the scope of the properties 322 rooms, vineyards and amenities.

On my way home from Napa I decided to stop at IKEA. In the last few weeks I was noticing that I was sitting for a large portion of my day. It was a good thing, it meant I was working, but at the same time sitting isn't the best thing for your body, so I wanted to find something that could work as a standing desk. I was close to walking out of IKEA empty handed until my mom spotted an outdoor bar table that was exactly what I was looking for. The best part was I put it together, along with a matching bar stool in under an hour.

Mother's Day at Camp Bradley

2013-05-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Weekend started out for me Saturday morning, although it wasn't with my mom. My roommate and I went to the Original Pancake House for breakfast. It was my first time there and wow, we had a 30 minute wait and it was worth it, my bacon pancakes were very good. They also gave us each $5 coupons to come in the next day with our moms, we didn't go again, but it was a thoughtful gesture.

After a very filling breakfast I headed to my parents house (Camp Bradley). As we were watching the Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, we were also discussing the fact that I had never been to one of their favorite local restaurants, Pocket Bistro. We fixed that quickly, with a trip to the restaurant for happy hour where we enjoyed beef satay, calamari, garlic fries and a few adult beverages. I'll have to go back for some of their other specials (Prime Rib preferably).

When my brother and his family arrived later on Saturday evening we enjoyed fajitas and I got to spend some time with my nephews and niece. Sunday we were outside enjoying to beautiful weather. We started off with a walk along the Sacramento River, then the crazy people (my brother and nephew) jumped in the pool, while the rest of us stayed dry with games and TV on the deck (yes the AT&T U-verse box really is wireless like the commercial shows), more food, a few beverages (extra large margaritas), some dominoes and another fantastic dinner, pasta with fresh vegetables and salmon. It was the perfect way to spend Mother's Day Weekend, with family and food.

A Celebrity Pacific Coast Cruise

2013-05-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I enjoy cruising and a cruise up the Pacific Coastline was just want I needed. It was planned well before I had even considered leaving my job and starting my own company, so there was some stress associated with how I would be able to take a vacation and be the only employee of a brand new company, but luckily my clients were all fantastic and I could still keep in contact via email.

With 189 days to plan there was plenty of advance time to buy new shoes and pack, but the day before we left I was busy. Last minute client projects and meetings, then down to Lodi to pick up my grandma and run a few other errands (like picking up pizza, going to the eye doctor and getting my car washed ... who knew it would rain the day we got back?).

My dad and I started day one of the vacation out first with a flight to San Diego, carrying a majority of the luggage (four checked bags and two carry-ons). We got the car and took the first load of luggage up to our hotel. With the drop-off complete we rushed back to the airport to pick my my mom, grandma, aunt and uncle who came on a later flight. Then had lunch and bought wine for the cruise in La Jolla. We stayed at the beautiful Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (sister property of The Meritage Resort and Spa). It was my first time to the property and it is gorgeous, with beautiful landscaping, a great pool, spa and gym.

After dropping bags off, we picked up a friend from our European Cruise and my dad, uncle and I headed to the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier docked in San Diego. It was really cool to see what an aircraft carrier looked like in real life (I only know them from the Discovery Channel) and see how the sailors live (tiny beds). After our tour we headed back to the Estancia and enjoyed margaritas and light appetizers at Mustangs & Burros.

The next day it was time to pack up the car (somehow we fit six people, five large suitcases, six carry-ons and a few other bags in our minivan) and headed to our ship, the Celebrity Century. Boarding was painless (our Diamond loyalty status on Royal Caribbean translated to Celebrity's highest level, Elite, meaning we had a separate check-in line and some other perks on board). Sailing out of San Diego was spectacular, going by aircraft carriers and seeing the skyline in the background made for great photo opportunities and memories. (Pre-Pacific Coast Cruise and San Diego Pictures)

Our first stops were Santa Barbara and Monterey. Santa Barbara, what should have been one of our warmest stops, was the coldest with fog that didn't burn off until the afternoon, but it was still a beautiful city to tour. We started with a trolley tour of multimillion dollar homes, the Mission and downtown areas, before I explored Sterns Wharf on my own. As we sailed out it was a little too foggy for me to see the Bacara Resort (another sister property to The Meritage Resort), but I did look. The next day we sailed into Monterey Bay and walked from Fisherman's Wharf about a mile to Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Santa Barbara and Monterey Pictures)

With a quick sail up the coast we went under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Ghirardelli Square to dock in San Francisco for two days. It may seem weird to go on a cruise to a place that I live 90 minutes away from, but I must say actually having the opportunity to be a tourist in San Francisco is a lot different than just going for a Giants game or for work. Although my phone died (and was broken for the rest of the trip), I still had fun. We met up with my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephews on the first day, hanging out on Pier 39 (including the Aquarium of the Bay) and Fisherman's Wharf before buying tickets for the cable car and heading inland to Top of the Mark for drinks. With a seven page martini list, I decided to stick with beer, the views from the top were nothing short of spectacular though. During dinner at the buffet we had a fabulous view of the light show on the Bay Bridge. The next day we went on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city. If you have been to San Francisco a million times and haven't done this yet, I actually recommend it, seeing the city from the top of a double-decker bus is a lot different from the confines of a car or even walking on the sidewalks. We didn't get off too many times, but we did take the opportunity to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, something I had done once before during a work trip, but my parents, aunt and uncle had never even dreamed of doing it. The bridge is breathtaking no matter how many times you have seen it and it photographs well (sorry for all of the pictures of it). (San Francisco Pictures)

After a relaxing day at sea we landed pretty far up the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon. We were greeted by one of my dad and uncle's sisters and my moms sister's parents-in-law. The town was actually very nice, with quite a few antique shops and some other historical points of interest (Lewis and Clark settled near there), we didn't really explore too much, but did have the opportunity to have lunch with everyone, which was really cool. We had a giant round table overlooking the Columbia River and could just talk, relax and use their wifi (remember my phone broke, so having wifi and my iPad was a good thing). One of the coolest things happened as we were leaving, the harbor pilot, who typically jumps from the cruise ship to a smaller boat left via helicopter. They had all of the outside decks closed, but from our balcony and a hidden stairway at the back of the ship I got some good pictures of the helicopter at least. (Astoria Pictures)

We bypassed Washington state, it would have been nice to stop in Seattle, but at least I stopped in their airport, and headed north to Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. I had been to Victoria about 15 or 20 years before, needless to say I didn't remember much beyond we saw lots of flowers. Visiting and seeing Butchart Gardens again was an awe-inspiring experience, everything is a "Kodak" moment, even the garbage cans have flowers on them. From the Sunken Garden to Japanese Garden and the millions of flowers, trees and other picturesque views I'm pretty sure many visitors leave with new visions for their backyards. After a bus tour of the city, my dad and I got out at the Empress Hotel and walked along the harbor to Victoria's own Fisherman's Wharf, complete with houseboats made into "food trucks," and back to our ship. Our final stop of the cruise was Vancouver, which was hosting a marathon that day. It delayed our city tour by about 90 minutes, but we saw all the sites, including Stanley Park (bigger than New York's Central Park), China Town, and some Olympic venues. I would really like to go back and stay longer in both Victoria and Vancouver, maybe on my way to Whistler sometime. (Victoria and Vancouver Pictures)

On the ship we enjoyed lots of food (I may have ordered multiple appetizers, entrees and desserts a few nights), daily visits to the ice cream counter, hamburgers and sandwiches on the pool deck, entertainment, games of pinochle on our spacious veranda and a few other things, like dominoes in the game room and a backstage tour. Our room was actually pretty spacious, we were able to fit four people comfortably, with plenty of closet and drawer space for all of us (something very unusual in my opinion for a cruise ship).

As we headed home we were able to go through US Customs in the Vancouver Airport, which took about three minutes (I decided that every time I re-enter the US I would like to do it through the Vancouver airport). I tried, unsuccessfully to fix my phone using the airports wifi and then we took off for a short flight across the border to Seattle. From Seattle we got to Sacramento, where I'm pretty sure our bags magically beat us to the luggage carousel, thank you Alaska Airlines. The next day I went directly to the Apple Store, where I was told my phone couldn't be fixed ... I left the store a little poorer, but with an iPhone 5, so it wasn't all bad. After a work meeting, unpacking and getting some work done I headed to dinner with my parents at their former neighbor's house. Since we were traveling on Cinco de Mayo, we celebrated "Seis de Mayo" with margaritas, wine, tamales and some other yummy dishes. (On the Ship and Post Cruise Pictures)

Filming and Photos

2013-04-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

My week started off with a trip to The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa. I was there not only to check out the remodel of Crush Ultra Lounge (they updated the area behind the bar) and revamped the menu (adding dessert ... my new favorite is the gourmet root beer float), but to help film an episode of a travel show that airs on KRON in the San Francisco Bay Area, Days with Zahrah. We filmed inside the Estate Cave, out by the pool, inside Siena, Crush Ultra Lounge and Blend, Spa Terra, the lobby, the vineyards, inside a few rooms and in a few of the courtyards. One of my favorite scenes was a wine and chocolate pairing inside Trinitas Cellars. A must do if you're at (or near) the resort, it's fun and actually very educational.

There were some other fun food adventures. Starbucks is becoming a new hangout with various business meetings, I'm trying to branch out with slightly healthier options than my typical Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino or white chocolate mocha. So far smoothies and the vanilla bean Frappuccino are winning. I also hung out with a good friend. We started out at Bayside and listened to Francis Chan speak. Next we headed up to the Ground Cow in Penyrn for burgers and fries. We were a little full, so decided that we needed to drive and walk before dessert at Rick's Dessert Diner in Sacramento. It was my first time there and all I can say is the cakes are huge!

After eating way too much I headed to my niece's first birthday party at Picchetti Winery in Cupertino. All first birthday parties should really be held at wineries, second through tenth birthdays can be held in a backyard, John's Incredible Pizza or Safari Run. It was great to see lots of my family and extended family, plus I got to meet my sister-in-law's nephew. On the way back to Sacramento my parents and I decided we needed to use a few Groupon's in Lodi. We went wine tasting at Van Ruiten Family Winery, then picked up my grandma and enjoyed dinner at Las Islitas Seafood. It was the first time I'd been served an entire talapia since I lived in Mexico, other than the view it was just as good too.

Now its time to get ready for the cruise, but first more eating. Panera and Red Lantern at Thunder Valley so far. Good practice since our ship has a nightly sushi bar.

Media, Burgers, Pine Needles and Birthday

2013-04-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

It was a good week. I had one client in the Sacramento Bee and Boston Globe, while another was interviewed by both the Roseville Press Tribune and Sacramento Bee. I continued my trend of eating out. I went to Thunder Valley Casino-Resort, won $5.02 and ate at Fat Burger with a roommate. I also had an Ahi Burger at Yard House with another client.

My family and I headed to the Bradley Lodge for the weekend. We raked and burned pine needles, plus celebrated my mom's birthday with some cake and cupcakes. In 11 days we will celebrate in style ... a Celebrity Cruise up the Pacific Coast.

Soccer, Wine and Payday!

2013-04-07T22:15:00.002-07:00

Week four of MrAndrewBradley Communications started out great ... with the knowledge that I would be getting my first client check direct deposited into my bank account (it was even better when it actually happened on Friday).

On Wednesday I played soccer at Mahany Park for the first time in years. The weekly pick-up soccer game is $5 and you're assigned a team based on when you arrive. Games are 15 minutes and teams rotate. It's a lot of fun, but I realized that although I go to the gym everyday and can run six miles with relative ease, I'm not in soccer shape, sprinting is a lot different than distance running. Hopefully I will begin playing more regularly again after my upcoming vacation.

On Friday my first check was deposited and I celebrated by heading to the foothills to go wine tasting with my mom, a friend we went on our last cruise with and her cousin. Our first stop was Bella Piazza Winery. It has beautiful grounds and has large spaces for events. Next we headed to Cooper Vineyards. There we sampled many of their wines and bought a bottle to enjoy out on the patio with our picnic lunch.

Our final stop (and the reason for the trip) was Perry Creek Winery in the Fair Play wine region. My mom had purchased a Living Social deal that included wine tasting, a winery tour and a antipasto plate. All of the wines were really good, including four that we tasted straight from the barrel, and the tour was really interesting. I work a lot in Napa and know a fair amount about the process of making wine, but each time I go on a winery tour I learn a little bit more and appreciate the final product more because I know what goes into it. One of the best parts ... I bought a bottle of wine and got a 30 percent "industry" discount since I have a winery/Napa resort client.

I wrapped up the week at Bayside where they collected well over 40,000 pounds of food for the Placer County Food Bank and I'm sure when they wrap up the drive next week, will have reached their 50,000 pound goal. This will not only break a record, but help feed the thousands of area residents who don't always know where their next meal is coming from.

Cupcakes and Easter

2013-04-01T12:45:00.002-07:00

Over the weekend I celebrated Easter like everyone with ... with lots of cupcakes. Knowing that I would be heading out of town on Sunday, I headed to Bayside's Easter service on Friday night, the message and everything else was powerful and a great reminder of everything that was done by Jesus to rescue us. Saturday I took cupcakes to my favorite family of nine (also the only family of nine that I know), needless to say with seven kids, the cupcakes vanished a few minutes after I arrived.

Sunday I picked up a Mickey Mouse Cupcake Cake from Safeway, along with some Easter Bunny Cupcakes, and headed to Richmond (by way of Sacramento and Lodi) for a family Easter gathering and to celebrate by nephew and a cousin's birthday. My nephew had just spent the week at Disneyland so he was pretty impressed with the cakes design and liked the icing even more after he blew out the candles and could eat.

Weeks 2 and 3, More Work, More Food

2013-03-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy few weeks, so busy that I haven't had time for blogging, I'm not checking Twitter too often and I'm working lots. I've gotten clients on TV, interviews with newspapers and on various websites so far and I'm just getting started. I'm learning about new clients everyday and partnering with companies doing great things locally, nationally and internationally.

Beyond work I have been eating out (no surprise). I've been to Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Jacks Urban Eats, Togos, McDonald's (thanks to a Klout Perk) Daphne's, Yard House, Lucille's, Smash Burger, Crush 29, Skipolini's, Ella (for a Cal Poly Alumni event), Old Spaghetti Factory, Johnny Garlic's, Mikuni, Leatherby's and a Placer Business Tweetup at Von Housen Mercedes Benz in Rocklin. I'm also making sure to exercise, I still go to the gym on most mornings, I walked a dog and I even rejoined my mountain biking group on a ride around Folsom Lake.

Technology-wise I was given an iPad, which is super cool. It had a cracked screen, so I did some research and found iCracked.com. A consultant (Garrett) came to my house, picked up my iPad (that part was a little freaky) and luckily brought it back the next day. It's now in a Survivor case and I got a keyboard too.

Overall I'm doing well, it's a little bit crazy owning my own business, making my own hours seems to mean working 10-12 hours a day, but it also means that I'm working those hours when it works best for my schedule (in most cases), so if I need to go out during the day I can, I just do the work earlier or later. If I need to stay out later one night, I can sleep in a little the next day, etc.

Every week I learn more about what it means to be an entrepreneur and I'm looking forward to what the future holds for me and for MrAndrewBradley Communications.

Week 1 - More Eating and Working from Home

2013-03-15T20:43:00.003-07:00

After officially leaving my last job on Friday, enjoying happy hour with friends and going to the Bradley Lodge, I started my own company on Monday, MrAndrewBradley Communications. In many ways life has stayed the same, but in many ways it has drastically changed. I still wake up and go to the gym, I still stare at a computer screen everyday, but now I'm learning how to create invoices, work full-time from home (and not go crazy) and what it means to be in business for myself. I have gone to networking events, including a Cal Poly Alumni night and a BNI morning meeting, I have gone out to lu nch with a few prospective clients and I even had time to do a Fresh & Easy beer tasting in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. I've gotten a lot of work done and I know there is much more learning and work to come. I am truly looking forward overcoming the uncertain and embracing my future.

The Launch for MrAndrewBradley Communications

2013-03-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a dream of mine for years, but I never thought I would actually do it. Today I officially launched MrAndrewBradley Communications. Although it is still a work in progress I am already enjoying working for myself and know that there will be many struggles to overcome, while at the same time there are many triumphs enjoyed.

Over the last few weeks I have been working with my now former employer, AugustineIdeas, on a strategy that would allow us to continue working together, much as I started with them nearly three years ago, as a consultant. On Friday that process was completed and today I began the process of opening my own business.

After my workout, I went to the City of Roseville and received clearance to open a home-based business from the Planning Department and then got my business license. Next it was off to SAFE Credit Union to open a business checking account and finally to Costco to buy Quicken Home & Business. Now I just need to get business insurance and an awesome wireless printer, then I am all set. In the meantime, I will be working with some of my clients from AugustineIdeas, getting some new clients and working with some longtime friends.

If you or someone you know needs media relations, public relations or copy-writing assistance, MrAndrewBradley Communications is available to help.

New Food, Old Restaurants

2013-03-03T12:43:00.001-08:00

This was a weekend of trying a few new places for me. After seeing friends post amazing food pictures a few weeks ago I knew I wanted to try The Ground Cow in Penryn. I "Liked" their page on Facebook and was continually reminded why I needed to go try a burger. After work on Friday my roommate and I went. I enjoyed a beer, milkshake and the Black & Blue burger with fries, while he had a traditional burger with mashed potatoes. We were both thoroughly impressed with the food and, although it's outside of my routine to drive to Penryn, I'll be back. I also found out that my mom and grandma used to go to The Ground Cow on their drives between Reno and San Francisco about 30 years ago, since then the restaurant has had a few different names and chefs, but it's now back to what it was.

After doing yard work and cleaning my house on Saturday, I headed to the gym and another Blood Source blood drive. This was my second time giving blood and first time doing it on their mobile unit. It was amazing to see how much stuff they could pack onto the bus, an intake area, room for questions and blood screening, then four chairs for donations and an area to eat a few snacks after the donation was over. Now that I've donated twice, I think I will continue to do it, it's good to know that my blood could be helping someone else live. Once the donation was done, I went to Bayside and found a few friends to hang out with. We journeyed to Cool River Pizza for dinner. Although I've had their pizza a few times before, it was always at events, so this was my first time actually being inside the restaurant. Next week, I will try Boneshaker Public House in Rocklin for the first time.

Cultural

2013-02-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was driving back to my office after a meeting and noticed a sign that said "Happy Hour." It's not secret I like happy hour, so I Google'd the restaurant and found out it served Peruvian food. Later that week a friend who is also a reporter for the Roseville Press Tribune was at the restaurant to write a review and I was emailing his co-worker. We set up a lunch meeting for this week and we both got to have Peruvian food for the first time. I had the Causa Limena (chicken salad and potatoes), it was excellent and I cannot wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

Over the weekend I headed to the Apologetics Conference at Bayside. Although I may not be able able remember everything the speakers said, it is always great to remember that I have a faith that can be tested and has so much historical evidence in support of many of its claims. Lee Strobel, JP Moreland and the others were all phenomenal and I'm looking forward to the next conference in October 2014. The conference was also another good excuse for me to use my portable battery charger for my iPhone, so nice to use my phone without worrying about it running out of battery for the day.

President's Day 2013 at the Bradley Lodge

2013-02-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

With 16 people at the Bradley Lodge for President's Day this year we celebrated in style with wine, food, fun and more wine. Our fun started on Friday with chopping down a tree, raking a few pine needles and the delivery of 16 railroad ties.

Saturday we began the project my dad has waited for five years to start ... build a horseshoe pit with railroad ties. After we got the frame work done (and moved the 120-150 pound railroad ties) it was time to meet my brother and his family in Murphys for wine tasting. We visited quite a few wineries and bought lots of bottles of wine, the stroller quickly became a wine stroller, it was easier (and lighter) to hold the baby. Saturday night we had a "feast," something my family often did while I was growing up. In the early days we spread newspaper on the table and grabbed what we wanted, this year we were a little more sophisticated, but still had great food, including turkey, kielbasa and ribs. We finished our night with the very adult version of Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity.

Sunday we took my nephew to Bear Valley for his third time on skis. He quickly mastered the beginner hill (Cub) and one that was a little harder, Super Cub. After lunch we took him up an even harder hill and once again, he did amazingly. Next year it will be fun to see what new runs he can master and we might get to start teaching his younger brother.

After cleaning the Bradley Lodge to get it ready for renters, I headed to the gym to work off the many calories from the weekend and then went to a dinner at Claim Jumper with friends (I ordered based on the nutritional menu, ending up with a very good BBQ Chicken Salad for 300 calories).

A Week of Wine and Food

2013-02-10T11:06:00.002-08:00

It's a good thing I wasn't on a diet this week (and that I went to the gym everyday). Monday I made my semi-famous Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies for an office potluck we were having on Tuesday. At the potluck I filled up my plate with everything from pizza to desserts.

Thursday I was involved in a Fresh & Easy wine tasting through Twitter (#FreshandEasyWine). The three bottles of wine, along with the antipasto tray we came up with when we pooled our two gift cards were all great.

On Friday a friend and I met for Chinese food, before coming back to my house with four mini-desserts from Bel Air. We shared the desserts and wine with my roommates while hanging out and getting a chance to talk, a good thing since I hadn't seen her since before my cruise in October.

I was able to get out for a 6.5 mile run on Saturday, it was fantastic to do some serious exercise in light of all the food I had already eaten. After the run I called my parents who invited me to dinner. We decided on Seasons 52, a new restaurant at Arden Fair Mall that changes its menu four times a year and has weekly specials. All of the food was amazing and each plate was under 475 calories, so I felt that it was pretty healthy too. We started off by sharing a Greek Flat Bread, then I had Cedar Plank Salmon as my main course and we finished up with mini-indulgences. Everyone at our table got one, but I couldn't make a decision between two of them, so I ended up with two (they were tiny and only $2.50 each, so that was okay, right?). I cannot wait to go back as the menu changes throughout the year, the service was great, the food was tasty and I really liked the entire concept and feel of the restaurant.

Super Food

2013-02-03T16:57:00.002-08:00

I welcomed a new roommate to Fort Bradley this week. He drove in from Arizona to take a new job with Placer County. Wanting to welcome him to California with food and wine, we shared some Papa Murphy's Pizza and Bogle Vineyards Zinfandel. Friday I continued to eat healthy by having a chicken sandwich and milkshake at Smashburger. Saturday I had an amazing hamburger cooked by Kevin Kauer at Bayside and today it's another pizza with wine for the Super Bowl.

Quick Trip

2013-01-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

After lunch at Nubbin's and an amazing salmon dinner, complete with a chocolate pudding meringue dessert on Friday evening, my parents and I made our way up to the Bradley Lodge for a quick inspection of it after it had been rented and to take up a few things in preparation for our large family gathering on President's Day Weekend. On the drive up I finished the Steve Jobs biography, although long and slow at first, it was really good. On the way back I started Team of Rivals, 16 pages of the 944 page book make up the movie Lincoln (I'm really glad I have a Kindle, so that I don't have to lift a 944 page book). We drove through Murphys and ended up having lunch at a diner in Angels Camp. I had a chicken sandwich, while my parents went with hamburgers (my dad's had chili on it, my mom's was on sourdough bread). I then continued my driving up to Roseville to go to church at Bayside, pre-purchased my dinner for next week, a hamburger made by a Bayside volunteer, and decided I should get some exercise (I'd been in the car for 5+ hours), so I ended my night at 24 Hour Fitness with an hour of cardio.

The Sunglass Decision

2013-01-22T21:40:00.001-08:00

As I was heading up to the Bradley Lodge for Christmas I made a quick stop at the optometrist to look at new sunglasses. I have had an athletic pair for the last five years and just got the lenses replaced, but I thought I needed something a little more professional for the events I attend. With a balance left in my Flexible Spending Account, I figured it was time to shop. I really liked a few pairs at my optometrist, but the price was prohibitive for what I needed and had ($250-$300+). I kept up the search by going to Costco and Sam's Club. I finally narrowed it down to three options at Sam's Club and put it up for a vote. The vote was overwhelming and I purchased the winner last week. I picked them up this afternoon and although I've only put them on once, I already know it was a good decision. Hope everyone that sees me wearing them thinks the same.

Mission Accomplished

2013-01-21T20:03:00.001-08:00

One of my clients is Mission Foods (luckily for my eating habits, AugustineIdeas has lots of food clients). Over the last week I was able to officially announce that AugustineIdeas and Mission Foods were working together, we are now their lead shopper marketing agency, but more importantly I made sure to support my client by purchasing Super Soft Tortillas and Mission Tortilla Chips (the strip variety is my preference, but if you like rounds or triangles that's fine too). I started out by having a taco night at a friend's house (I brought the chips and tortillas, they provided the rest of the ingredients). The tacos were fabulous, they were even nice enough to left me take home some of the leftovers, so I had tacos for another day or two.

For the NFC Championship game on Sunday, I invited my parents and some of their friends to Fort Bradley where we celebrated victory in style. Nachos for the appetizer, steak and salad for our post game victory feast, and plenty of wine throughout the day. With the extra steak and nacho toppings, not surprisingly, I made tacos for dinner tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing the 49ers in the Super Bowl in a few weeks and I have no doubt I will be buying a bag or two of Mission Tortilla Chips for some more nachos.

A Mayoral Press Conference and Groundbreaking

2013-01-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

My job allows me to do some pretty cool things. Everything from hangout in Napa to launching a brand new professional soccer team. Today was no exception, for the second time in about a month I was in charge of media relations for a press conference involving Sacramento's mayor, Kevin Johnson. At the beginning of December it was to announce that a USLPRO soccer team would be coming to Sacramento in 2014. Today it was for the official ground breaking of Cannery Place at Township Nine, a new affordable housing community that will be built near the American River, Downtown Sacramento and the Railyards. It was great the see the community, more than 100 community members came to be part of the celebration, and Sacramento's media come out in force to show their support. When the construction is done in late 2014 it will bring new life to a section of the city that I think many had once forgotten.

Mr. Fix It

2013-01-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve I decided to do something a little different, cook a Papa Murphy's Pizza instead of have my standard, Costco Rotisserie Chicken. All was going well, until I realized the oven was not heating. I ended up barbequing the pizza, which turned out pretty good, except for a little bit of burnt crust. After celebrating New Year's at two house parties I finally decided to take apart the oven and diagnose the problem on New Year's Day, just how I was hoping to ring in 2013. After a few minutes I had removed the oven door and a few other parts, quickly figuring out what was wrong. I ordered the part and a week later it arrived, I installed the new part and it was fixed! I can now make cookies, brownies and nachos again.

Food and the KCRA Blood Drive for Life

2013-01-04T19:44:00.002-08:00

There's never a shortage of food pictures on this blog, but this time it's a little different. I donated blood as part of the KCRA Blood Drive for Life event. To prepare I had a happy hour meal at Sammy's Rockin' Island Bar and Grill on Thursday night with some friends and ate lunch with another friend at Jack's Urban Eats this afternoon (advanced meals are not needed to give blood, but they can't hurt, right?).

On my way home from work I decided to stop by the blood drive (the Roseville location was on my way home) and give blood for the first time. It was a relatively quick and painless process. I was welcomed in, filled out some paperwork and had a nurse ask me a few questions (especially about my Europe cruise) to make sure my blood was safe. Next I went to the blood donation chair, met a nice nurse who got me all set and about 5-7 minutes later I had a little less blood in me, but got to go hangout at the snack table. I gorged on Nutter Butters, Chips Ahoy and goldfish. They also had Blue Diamond Almonds for the more health conscious. If you've given blood before or if it's your first time, I say go and do it. You could be saving a life and it's easy. From the time I walked in to the time I walked out was about 45 minutes.

Christmas 2012 at the Bradley Lodge

2012-12-30T10:44:00.001-08:00

It was the fourth Christmas I celebrated at the Bradley Lodge and with the addition of a niece, maybe the best. We spent a full week in the snow including two field trips to go snowshoeing at Big Trees State Park and skiing at Bear Valley. Luke did amazing and we took Luke and Levi out the next day on the streets around the Bradley Lodge. At the Bradley Lodge we went sledding, built snowmen and snow forts, took a few walks, opened Christmas gifts, drank wine and hot chocolate (Bailys added for adults), opened Christmas gifts and ate lots of delicious food including cioppino and prime rib. The trip was so much fun that I had to go to Costco to restock on food and wine.

Holiday Helping

2012-12-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are all about helping people and giving back. I am lucky enough to be part of a company and a church that does just that. Through my office we prepared holiday meals for 25 needy families and purchased a few Christmas gifts, including a Disney Princess bike, for kids who may not have gotten what they wanted from Santa otherwise. I also had the opportunity to head to The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa to help the management team as they prepared an elaborate dinner for the rest of the staff, served at at huge masquerade ball. Not only was it fun, it was amazing to see what goes in to preparing and hosting a three-course banquet for 350 guests. In response to the tragedy in Connecticut I also got calls from Sacramento area media to arrange interviews with Bayside's pastors, Bayside is not a client of mine, but I was happy to help everyone that called me. As part of Bayside's Christmas Services, they donated all proceeds from ticket sales to CovKidsCongo, helping kids in the Congo get the medical treatments and bed/mosquito nets they need to just survive to the age of five. It was also a great show and reminder of the reason for the season with music by Lincoln Brewster (all proceeds from his current CD "Joy to the World" go to help CovKidsCongo too), a spectacular performance by THE SILHOUETTES and Le PeTiT CiRqUe, and message by both Ray Johnston and Curt Harlow that ended with my favorite part of the service, the candle-lighting.

Downtown Napa

2012-12-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

Friday and Saturday I had the opportunity to join with reporters from across the country to show off some of what Napa has to offer. I met up with them at The Meritage Resort and Spa for a property tour and bowling at Crush Ultra Lounge after their dinner at Tarla. Then Saturday I was able to hangout with them for the day. We started at the Napa General Store for breakfast along Napa's Riverfront, then headed to Poor House, part of Oxbow Public Market, for shopping. After that it was off to Grand Hand Gallery to check out artwork, Napa Valley Adventure Tours to learn what outdoor activities are available to Napa visitors (kayaking, mountain biking, hiking and more) and the Napa Valley Opera House. We had lunch at Bistro Sabor (think Latin American street food) and finished up with wine tasting at Back Room Wines. I also took a few quick detours to say hello to an author and reporter that I have worked with for two years, but never met, at the Napa Valley Visitors Center and purchased wine and gifts at Trinitas Cellars in the Estate Cave at The Meritage Resort and Spa before heading back to Roseville and to church at Bayside.

Times to Reflect

2012-12-15T21:32:00.001-08:00

Photo Credit | Curt Harlow

Often towards the end of the year we reflect. We reflect on a year gone by, the fun times, the new friends, the memories that will last a life time. We send letters to family and friends. We watch videos that wrap up the year in two minutes that often have inspiring music behind them. But, then events happen that change how we reflect. Yesterday, our nation experienced a tragedy. I, like everyone else across the county, reflected. My mind was numb. There was nothing I could do. Late last night, I read something on Facebook from my pastor at Bayside. They are simple words, but words that give great encouragement to many of us in California, across the country and around the world.

From Pastor Ray:

Today is a heartbreaking day. Our nation experienced the second worst school shooting in American history. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. I, like all Americans, am devastated.

During tragic times like this there is inevitably a mad scramble for CLARITY. How could this happen? Why would a good and loving God let this happen? Who’s to blame for this senseless violence?

The problem – Shallow Christian clichés fall short and ultimately Clarity never comes…because at best, we see ‘through a glass dimly…'
During times like this we think we need Clarity when we really need is Certainty.
I am certain that this senseless act breaks the heart of God because…
I am certain that God understands what it means to lose a son.
I am certain that every one of today's victims was precious to God.
I am certain that God is near to the brokenhearted.
I am certain that no life ever is devoid of meaning no matter how short.
I am certain that Jesus meant it when he said, ‘Let the little children come to me’.
I am certain that life is precious and that every day with your kids is a gift.
I am certain that America needs to rediscover a reverence for life.
I am certain that a day is coming when suffering will cease and God will reign.
I am certain that when anyone closes their eyes here for the last time and wakes up in the arms of Jesus - they will be more alive than they have ever been.