teresa

Elliott and I went to dinner tonight.  Although rather than a $40 minimum ticket we picked up <$10 sandwiches from Safeway (which turned out to be pretty good) and drove out to Livermore to Del Valle Lake.  We hiked the less than 1 mile to the top with a great view of the lake and Livermore Valley and we ate dinner on the bench.  Its a little funny to think of it as a money saving idea, although that was partly it, we are certainly working to cut our expenses although it turned out to be much more enjoyable than any dinner we have had a restaurant in a long time.  The views, the quiet, the lone mountain biker, all added to the ambiance far surpassing any east bay hot spot.  So I am thinking that is my new request for a date night.  Didn’t hurt that it was 80 degrees today either so the weather was beautiful as well.

Other random thoughts, kids on bikes scare me.  Elliott and I are training for a marathon so we have been running rather regularly.  Often we will pass by other runners and walkers, and many times families.  The kids we pass on bikes look like at any moment they might lose control and barrel into you.  You can tell their blood pressure rises as you approach and they move over toward the edge of the walkway to avoid you nearly wrecking in the process.  These newly found bike riders scare me and after I safely pass certainly make me laugh.

Over the weekend we helped out both Friday and Saturday nights at the Rotary conference.  Elliott’s club helped wtih their Area’s hospitality suite and they needed help serving the food.  So both nights we assisted with preparing little pieces of baguette with a squirt of horseradish, skirt of mustard, and a slice of corned beef.  We made hundreds if not almost one thousand between both nights!  It was fun.  It was very interesting to see the handful of people that wanted something special.  There were times when we felt like we couldn’t cut and squirt fast enough and someone would come up and ask for one without the mustard, or no carbs…  oh man when food is free I think you got to take it as it comes.  Obviously I would have been less annoyed if I had spent more time in the other room serving (and drinking) Irish libations, atlhough instead of a hangover I got heartburn from eating too much corned beef.  Bob, the president of Elliott’s club, the chef, is also hilarious.  He reminds me a bit of my father although with more spunk.  At one point when one woman who wanted extra corned beef was trying to scoop it up to eat it with a chip and she couldn’t quite get it, Bob reached over and pushed it onto her chip for her with his finger.  He is the type of guy who does stuff that makes you laugh although you know you really shouldn’t laugh because most of it is borderline inappropriate.  Fortunately I found most of his stuff funny the two nights so that at least added to the experience.

This week we are going to Reno for the shareholders meeting Thursday and the BOD meeting Friday.  Should be fun, although we have no time to see friends so I am a little bummed.  Then its back to the Bay area Friday night, I volunteered to help with a construction project for Rebuilding Together Saturday.  Elliott I think may be staying in Reno for WordCamp!  That’s right a Word Press conference, the software he programs our blogs and now our new BJG website in.  I think it is really funny he is going to go to WordCamp. And then I believe he is taking the train home… oh wait update, Elliott has decided not to go to WordCamp… bummer I know he was excited about it.  Good for me though, that means I have my driving partner to come back with me.  Which ultimately means I will fall asleep and Elliott will get me home safe, just the way its supposed to happen.