Happy Birthday, Dad, Aunt Rita & Justin!

My Dad, his twin sister Rita & Justin share a birthday - July 31st! Though they aren't exactly sharing the same NUMBER each year, it's cause for celebration just the same. Shout out to the birthday boys!


Birthday King, Daddy-O

If I had to pick out ONE fantastic quality about my dad (it's hard to narrow it to just one - believe me), I would say it's his optimism on life. He doesn't live with his head in a cloud by any means, but he is always slow to make judgement...on ideas and people. I love that I can come to him with ideas and we can talk through them to figure out, together, what the best course of action is. I love his compassion in doing this with me, and an in all aspects of his life. My dad is truly an amazing man, one I try to be more like every single day.


Aunt Rita and The Girls

My Aunt Rita (Dad's twin) is one of the greatest firecrackers of all time. When I was little, hearing her laugh from far, far away always made me smile and run towards the action. She always had a story to tell and her personality a magnet to draw people in. We got to see her last summer at my cousin John's wedding in IL and she is as sweet as ever.


Birthday Boy, Justin, in Boston last week

If I had to pick out ONE fantastic quality about Justin, I would say his ability to play A$$hole. Just kidding (although he is a helluva-playah')! Justin is a great listener and is great at looking at situations from multiple perspectives. He grew up in a family of 7 (5 kids, 2 parents) and I imagine he learned from an early age that it's not "all about" him. This skill has transferred to his adult life and we love talking until the wee hours (well, until about 10pm in my case...much later in Dave's case) about life issues.

We love you, Dad, Aunt Rita & Justin! Happy Birthday to you all! xoxo, B&D

Beantown, Baby!

Dave and I are in Connecticut this week, visiting with Dave's family and getting ready to celebrate his cousin, Althea's, wedding this upcoming weekend. During the summer (as long as they can possibly stay), Dave's parents stay at their lake cottage at Lake Beseck. I love it here and find total peace in lying around, looking at the water, watching the boats go by and even running here and there.


Hanging with Dave's parents and their BFs, the Doolittles, on Friday

Another set of Dave's cousins (he has LOTS - huge extended family), Justin and Diane, treated us to see the Red Sox vs. Yankees game in Boston last Saturday. We had SUCH a blast going "back to the homeland". We haven't bee back there to visit in a few years, so it was great to spend a quick under-24-hours there.


Red Sox shirt? Check. Greasy Sausage? Check. Full Beantown Experience? Check.


Oh yeah...forgot one. $8 beer? Check. (Thanks, Dave!)

Thanks to trusty Facebook and - you know I'm going to give a shout-out here - the beloved iPhone and new Facebook App available, I was tooling around, looking at Facebook updates during one of the innings. I saw that my friend, Laura, had a Facebook update that SHE TOO was at the Red Sox/Yankees game! So, as the true wanna-be-geek that I am (perhaps I am now beyond wannabe and am considered full-fledged? not sure if I've "made it" yet), I texted her (she thinks I'm in California) and said that the iPhone had a new Google Maps app where you can look at a particular seat within Fenway, so asked her to text me her section/row/seat so I could try it out. Ha ha! She fell for it and texted me her stats (but did question whether we should be concerned that Apple and Google perhaps are becoming entirely too "Big Brother"), and then Dave and I snuck up and texted her to "look left". It was awesome!


Laura and I enjoying a Fenway surprise together


Gift for my Mother-in-Law...says, "Jeter Drinks Wine Coolers"

We ate at Kingfish that night (where Lindsay worked long, long ago when we lived in Boston in 2000-2002) and then headed back to the hotel.


The crew enjoying dinner at Kingfish

We had breakfast the next morning, then headed back to Connecticut where we had a full house for the afternoon with our "friends-with-kids" that came over to visit! It was so fun and we enjoyed every moment.



Don't be alarmed that the child in the last 1/2 of pictures (Cole, our friends Gary and Kim's son), looks just like Dave. I swear, we were across the country when he was conceived...I think.... :-)


Dave and Cole...his son-from-anothah'-motha'

Biking and Fishin in Mammoth (Part 2)

A week or so ago, I wrote a post about the exciting times we found in Oakhurst, CA on our way to Mammoth Lakes, CA to meet up with Lindsay and Jon, Doug and Dan.

Dave and I had the chance to drive through Yosemite on our way and were blown away by the beauty. It was our first time through Yosemite and we snapped a few pics along the way.


Drive from Oakhurst to Yosemite


Yosemite Beauty

We stayed in a condo in Mammoth Lakes that was perfect. It slept 8 and we had 6 + 2 dogs (Lindsay & Jon have a dog named Jack). We played a$$hole (yep, kickin' it back to the old school with games), read, walked around and just relaxed in general. On Saturday, we went to breakfast and then the guys left for biking and Lindsay and I took off for a day of fishing with the dogs.


Friday Night...stumbling distance from the condo

As for the biking, they took the ski lifts to the top of the mountain and then biked down. Jon and Doug are both avid bikers and Dan is right behind them, but it was Dave's first time. He said he LOVED it, even after flipping over his handlebars!


Guys on top of the mountain


Jon riding down the steps - apparently it's what the "cool kids" do


Dave and Jon together on the mountain


Jon taking in the beauty



In the meantime, Lindsay and I purchased our two-day fishing licenses (which turned out to be quite the waste considering all we caught was a few pieces of seaweed, but I digress).


Proud Fisherwoman


Chuwee and Jack, anxious for treats


Me, acting like I'm doing anything but losing lures...and more lures


Lindsay looking like a pro...but still catching nothing

That night, we had fajitas at the house and enjoyed our last night on vacation.


Dave enjoying a bevvie on his way to the hot tub

On Sunday, we were up early and decided to give this fishing thing one more try. I managed to lose 3 lures within 4 casts...Jon was very patient.


"I think I got something! Oh wait...that's just another rock 'eating' my lure again."


Yep...I'm now in cold water searching for my MIA lures...to no avail. Partially because I didn't find them and partially because I'm deathly afraid of fish. My triathlon in September is going to be FUN, huh?


"Oh, F-it...I'll just drink instead."

We then packed up and drove back through Yosemite "home" to San Francisco. It was such a fun weekend and a great treat to meet up with Lindsay and Jon on an "unplanned" visit...usually we plan our visits months and months in advance (yes, we live in the same state...but they are a good 8 hour drive away, so it's not like we can just pop over all the time!), so this was fantastic! We can't wait to see them again in August for Dave's big 3-0 birthday in SF.


Play "I-Spy". Can you see the rock climber in the photo?

I Failed. Again.

As you may recall, we attempted to get into French Laundry a few months ago and failed...miserably. This time, I called 300 times (nope; not kidding...hit redial during a car ride), and STILL didn't get through. It's amazing how many times you can dial in a 45-min timeframe.


Calling French Laundry...again.

I swore I wouldn't give up and started calculating how many reservations they could actually take per 30-minute period...figuring that each reservation probably takes 2-3 minutes for the hostess to take the credit card info, give the schpiel on cancellations and their $50 corkage charge, etc.


Why do you hate me? Yep, that says 99 calls.

So, defeated, I gave up on my French Laundry Quest for this week. My Google Calendar has each the dates set aside with reminders two months in advance of each available Saturday from now through the end of 2008. BUT, the next time a 2-month-out date is here (likely a week from now), we are going to try and go TO French Laundry to make the reservation in person and then go wine tasting...we'll either be celebrating our "good fortune" of being able to spend our $500+ on dinner or we'll be drowning our sorrows by wine tasting at neighboring wineries.

Oh, an next option? People apparently sell their reservations on eBay. Nice.

An Interview with...Heidi, World Traveler Extraordinaire

While in Tahoe over 4th of July, I had the opportunity to sit down with famed world traveler, Heidi…consultant, surfer, writer and yoga extraordinaire. This is our first official "Brooklyn's Blog Interview"...you must be on the edge of your seats. You may recall that Heidi was doing her own version of a sabbatical, as reported a few months ago. She spent three months traveling through Australia, Vietnam, India and Africa. We are certainly grateful to have her back in SF!


Brooke prepping for the interview

[Brooke Bryand]: Thanks for joining us on the show, Heidi. And welcome back! I have a few questions for you based on your fantastic experience over the last three months that the rest of us have followed on your blog while you were away. Let’s get started. What was your favorite moment in each of the major locations that you visited? Let’s start with Australia.
[Heidi]: In Australia, surfing, oh god the amazing surfing, and then learning to scuba dive in the Whit Sunday islands. In Vietnam, sailing in Ha Long Bay. In India, besides downward dog 4 hours a day it was certainly the art of Neti…clearing out my nose in the Ashram way. And in Africa…besides snuggling with Monica? Truth or dare in Zanzibar with strangers and reaching the top of Kilimanjaro…climaxing if you will.


Our audience has no idea what is coming...

[BB]: What is the #1 thing you learned about yourself?
[HI]: I discovered more fully the type of person I want to be and how lucky I am to have my life.
[BB]: How did the trip change your perspective on your life in San Francisco?
[HI]: Yes, it made my life in SF more important to me.
[BB]: What did you miss most while away?
[HI]: Uhhh, toilet paper.


Heidi recalling a particularly memorable aspect of the journey


[BB]: I’m sorry…your accent…can you tell me exactly where you’re from?
[HI]: Ohhh, you must be referring to my world-famous international accent. But of course. I can’t help it! I just mimic whomever I am speaking with. Who knows, my kids someday might be speaking eight languages because of me.
[BB]: And a follow-up question…what percentage of the trip was spent speaking with aforementioned International Accent?
[HI]: (without missing a beat) 95%. No question.
[BB]: How many bags were with you on this three month trip?
[HI]: This would the least amount of shoes I have ever had with me at one time. For THREE months I only had two SMALL bags, plus one more with a Sherpa. And I only lost one thing – my sunglasses. Well, and the visa for Vietnam, but who is counting?


Heidi getting serious about her answers...this is a Live Audience after all

[BB]: Finish this sentence…”I will never again…”
[HI]: “…clean out my nose with an instrument as I did at the Ashram.”
[BB]: Word Association. Say the first thing that comes to your mind.
[BB]: Skree [HI]: Misery.
[BB]: Yoga [HI]: Poga.
[BB]: Crocodile Meat [HI]: Swampy.
[BB]: Zipper (sleeping bags, tents, etc) [HI]: Cringe.
[BB]: Diarrhea [HI]: Monica.
[BB]: And let's get down to the nitty gritty. Did you utilize the one condom you brought? If so, what country?
[HI]: What?! What condom?! I was condomless in EVERY country! This was a SPIRITUAL journey, not a hedonistic one. Ahem.
[BB]: And another…. “After this trip, I now know I can…”
[HI]: “…go three months without being hedonistic.”
[BB]: Final question. Where is your next trip?
[HI]: Amsterdam!
That's all the questions we have for you, Heidi! Thanks for joining in on the first ever (and quite possibly only ever) "Brooklyn's Blog Interview". Fueled by vodka + grapefruit and lots of friends, I'd say we did okay!

To keep up with Heidi on her adventures, check out The White Chameleon.

Welcome to Oakhurst, California...y'all

On Thursday, Dave and I headed toward Yosemite after work. Our ultimate destination was Mammoth Lakes, CA, but we broke the trip in half by staying in Oakhurst, California for the night. Haven't heard of Oakhurst? Nor had I. According to the green sign, population is around 13,000, but I'm not convinced Bessy Lou and Jimmy Rae's addition skills are all that great, so perhaps they double-counted the cows and sheep too?. I booked our hotel on Travelocity...a Comfort Inn for $190 (!!!), so I had rather high expectations for the town. I don't have words to describe this town and what we encountered, so we took a quick video to capture the moment:


Last word on video is "car"...that was the one car in Oakhurst

Needless to say, we got up at 5:30am the next day to hit the road and make it to Mammoth Lakes. We were meeting up with Lindsay and Jon and knew we had a haul ahead of us (about 3 1/2 hrs to Oakhurst and another 4 1/2 hrs to Mammoth Lakes). The Google Maps directions took us straight through Yosemite, so we were excited to see what was ahead. We loaded up our iPhones with hours of "This American Life" (best program ever!) and hit the road!

Let There Be Light!

In February 2007, Dave and I bought this chandelier at a place called "Room with a Past" that sells used furniture/household goods in the East Bay. We had high hopes of putting it up in our first SF apartment (the shoebox), and after it laid on the floor there for 6 months, we moved to our new spacious abode last July...where the chandelier has still remained on the floor.

That is, until last week!!! Our friend Clayton (handyman galore) was staying with us and took the time to actually HANG THE CHANDELIER!!! This saved us a few hundred dollars (and the mental aggravation) of finding and hiring an electrician to do the job. We LOVE having central lighting in our living room (no more stumbling in to attempt to flick on 3 different lamps and STILL feel like we are sitting in a dark room!)...he even added a dimmer! There was just a cover on the ceiling and a wall plate before, so this is living the high life for us now!


Dave, enjoying the light from his "home office"


Close-up of the beloved Chandy

Thank you, Clayton, for working your magic!

Drinking the Kool-Aid, Getting Nortonized

So the company I work for, Symantec, is holding a contest for people to demonstrate how they "Nortonize" things in their every day life. Our new products are coming out soon and they are expected to be the best we have ever created. Before you start throwing tomatoes, realize that I do not code the software, people...I just help it look pretty in-store. I happen to love our products, but I also realize I am biased!

Anyways, in an effort to support our internal "Nortonize" contest (mirroring the external contest where you can win a Vespa), here is the submission our marketing team submitted. Yep, I am the video editor! iMovie makes it SO fun to create movies!


My beloved co-workers deserve Oscars for their rock-star performances

I won't encourage you to enter the contest (hey, it's YOUR Vespa you're giving up), but wanted to pass this along b/c I thought we (humbly) did a pretty good job and it was really fun!

Belated Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Clark!

Last month, Dave's sister, Chrissy, and brother-in-law, Jon, were married in Connecticut. We flew in, along with Lindsay and Jon from SD and my Dad & Carolyn from SC.

They had a great weekend set-up of the Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner on Thursday night, then had guests out to the lake house on Friday and finally the Wedding on Saturday.

The Rehearsal Dinner was held at a great Italian restaurant called Lo Monoco's and included the wedding party and immediate family. I, apparently, decided it was a good idea to kick the weekend of alcohol binging off in style and was slightly tipsy when we took this photo:

Chrissy and Me at the end of Dinner


Bridesmaids at Rehearsal Dinner...Chrissy in Center


The Original Bryand Family (yes, that's his mom!)


Dave and our bro-in-law, Jon

On Friday, my family came in and we had the chance to relax at the lake and then have a bunch of Chrissy's friends over that night for a fun get together. It was such a treat to not only be with my family but to get to know Chrissy's friends better!

Chrissy, no doubt, looked the most beautiful I have ever seen her. She was truly a stunning, flawless, gorgeous bride as she walked down the aisle.


Chrissy pre-wedding


Chrissy as the Beautiful Bride


Ahh, the Gorgeous Dress

And finally - the wedding! It was an outdoor wedding on a beautiful June day. The facility was impeccable and the wedding coordinator, Scott, was truly the BEST I have seen in the business. From the pre-wedding jitters (of the wedding party...not the bride and groom!) to the details of the ceremony to having cocktails ready the moment the ceremony was over, Scott was an invisible angel the entire evening.

We danced and danced the night away. And managed to have a few cocktails along the way.


I love this picture of Diane and Justin


Scary when Lindsay is considered "the sober one"


Especially Cute Pic of my Dad & Carolyn


Family Photo! (at the bar...where else?)


Dave and his Dad


Lindsay, Diane and Me...Looking for Trouble


Sisterly Love


Boys Turn to look for Trouble! Jon, Dave and Justin


Bride and Groom Wrapping up the Evening! (well, before late-night began!)

Even the BLOG wasn't allowed to "report" on late-night activities. Let's just say Lindsay ended up with a black-eye the next day from rolling down a hill in her dress...I'll leave it at that.

Thank you, Chrissy, Jon, Mom and Dad for such a fantastic time! We loved every moment and our time together was precious!! For more photos, click on the photo gallery! xoxo