Tim "The Master" Bristol, and Beer

This weekend was full of excitement and an array of activities! Friday night I attended Santa Clara de Asis's 2nd annual Brewfest with my friends Dan and Erin. It was fun to see many members of the parish having a good time and I enjoyed tasting a variety of beers without having to order a full glass :-).

On Sunday, my brother-in-law graduated from Cal State Fullerton with his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. With the ceremony in the morning and a celebratory barbecue in the afternoon, the day proved to be full of excitement! Great job Tim!

Virginia Visit

What a wonderful week I've had! It all started back in February when plans to visit my Cal Poly friend Seth fell through thanks to the blizzard which buried the East Coast in record amounts of snow. Since then, I've had an airline credit full of potential but no travel plans in the works. About two weeks ago my mom called and mentioned that my dad was being sent to VA on a 3 week business trip! She planned to visit him for part of the trip and invited me to use my airline credit to tag along as well. Within 48 hours I had plane tickets, approved vacation from work, and plans to leave in a week-and-a-half. Yikes! That's a lot to take in for someone who's a planner by nature :-).

We had a fantastic time, as evidenced by this sprinkling of pictures from our trip. We saw a variety of sights around D.C., both new to us and ones we had seen before. While Dad was at work (boo hoo), Mom and I pounded the pavement and used the area's slick transportation systems to our advantage. Among many other sights and activities, we strolled through Georgetown, visited breathtaking monuments, paid a visit to George and Martha's estate, delighted in the tulips blooming throughout the city, and of course made our traditional pilgrimage to Dorothy's ruby red slippers. Fortunately we were able to share our adventures with Dad over dinner most nights :-).

On the weekend, the three of us drove south to visit Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. It was truly fascinating and I could feel the magic of history pulsing through me as I stood at the site of the first permanent English settlement in America (think John Smith, Pocahontas, etc.), the most decisive battlefield of the Revolutionary War, and a charming early-American town.

To top all of this fun off, I got to see Seth! A reunion long in the making finally came together despite the weather's frigid attempt to spoil our plans. Attending Theology on Tap with Seth and his friend Dave at a pub in Old Town Alexandria was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.

Enjoy the pics!

The Most Important Room in the House

I'd like to introduce everyone to the Guest Room! It is the most important room in my condo because it is here to welcome anyone who wishes to visit :-). Consider yourselves invited...there's even room for a Pack-N-Play!

"There's no business like show business..."

Yesterday I had the unique treat of going to Universal Studios with Jessica! The theme park is currently hosting a special promotion in which teachers (Jessica) get in free and family/friends (me) get in for 1/2 price. Woo Hoo! What a deal! We had a great time exploring the park, riding rides, and attending shows. We learned so much about special effects that by the time I was home I was really ready for a simple, "old-fashioned", 2D movie :-). This is a picture of Jessica and I posing with the heroic heart-throbs from Apollo 13 and the actual space capsule used in the movie. Thanks for a fantastic day Jessica!

How does my garden grow?

I asked Dave when I should plant tomatoes and he said, "after the last frost". Since my response was, "what frost?", I figured that now was as good a time as any to begin my tomato garden, which has been a goal of mine since last year. The plant was fairly large when I bought it, so hopefully it will fair better than my other gardening endeavors :-). Stay tuned to see how it's growing, and feel free to visit anytime for a yummy salad with home-grown tomatoes!

Hiking in Hollywood!

I went hiking today in Runyon Canyon in Hollywood Hills with my work friends Vanessa, Cindy, and Laura . After enjoying spectacular views of Hollywood and LA from the trail, we headed into Hollywood to stroll along the boulevard. These pictures show the four of us at the top of the trail (Hollywood sign in the background), a view of Hollywood and LA, and Laura and I star-struck by a wax depiction of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Hopefully next time he'll be real!

Hollister Happenings

Here are some pictures from my amazing weekend in Hollister, CA! I had a lovely time visiting my Cal Poly friends Dave and Kimmy Giles, along with their 5-month-old son Caleb. Thanks to their hospitality, I also got to see many friends from the Bay Area at a St. Patrick's Day potluck. What a wonderful and memorable weekend :-).


Scott and Caleb












The Giles family in their beautiful new home

















Cal Poly Newman reunion!





















Megan and Michael are having twins!

















Caleb and I :-)