tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75054048023918966052024-02-20T10:00:10.607-08:00Sharon and Greg's San Francisco bonanzaGreg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-32107636256150311972014-09-07T18:52:00.003-07:002014-09-07T18:56:19.521-07:00Greg visits a cemetery and thinks deeply about itWe live in Colma, a sleepy suburb south of San Francisco, famous for its many cemeteries. There are 1,000 times as many dead people as alive people here (really), inspiring the slogan "It's Great to Be Alive in Colma."<br />
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I had some time to kill today, so I headed across the street to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.<br />
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I saw a surprising amount of gravestones intended for couples, yet the second person is missing.<br />
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Adeline Marsh here died in 1956, so it's highly unlikely that her husband is still living. What could be the possible reasons that he's missing? Maybe Adeline's beloved moved on, remarried, and was buried with his new wife, leaving the First Mrs. Marsh to rest eternally alone. Maybe it's something boring, like the second half is reserved for a still-alive child. Or maybe by the time the husband died, no one was around who cared enough to make sure they were buried together.<br />
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It seems like people with Asian-sounding names lived much longer than those with Hispanic-sounding names.<br />
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The cemetery is sort of segmented into rough eras of death. I always am intrigued by the died-in-the-1800s crowd. When someone dies, people visit them for a while as long as the memory is still fresh, then on their birthdays, and then eventually everyone who ever knew or loved them is also gone. If you are in the middle of one of these ancient sections, it's likely that years have passed since anyone has so much as read your headstone, much less known who you were. Many of the headstones lack critical details like names and dates, seemingly destined to obscurity. Take the one below (there's no writing on the back).<br />
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Some of the gravestones were literally covered in shit, presumably from the Canadian geese that I saw loitering around.<br />
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To set yourself apart, it pays to have a Google-able name.<br />
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I was wondering why Miss Qaqish met her demise at age 17, and I was able to <a href="http://abclocal.go.com//story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=8502178">find out</a>.<br />
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This got me to wondering whether millennial graves will be graffiti-ed with URLs or QR codes, so that passers-by can easily get details beyond the names and dates. But sadly, URLs and QR codes will someday be obsolete, and eventually the content linked to them will no longer be maintained (I'm betting against Legacy.com and the like existing in 500 years). Not many of us can keep pace with an ever-spinning world and changing technology.<br />
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After about an hour, I found myself deep into the cemetery and surrounded by graves as far as the eye could see.<br />
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This is just an inconsequential subset of the dead: people who have died in my metropolitan area in the last hundred years or so. Many throughout history were not so lucky, and you even see famous people on Wikipedia who have unknown exact birth year or places.<br />
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If this has you depressed, I'll leave you with a guy not worth writing home about ...<br />
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... and an aptronym.<br />
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<br />Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-32338927127367291352014-02-23T18:21:00.001-08:002014-02-23T18:22:04.488-08:00San Diego cooking, part 3 (featuring chicken parisienne and shrimp chilie quiche)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(See part 1 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-1-featuring.html">here</a> and part 2 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-2-featuring.html">here</a>). <br />
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I finished the final leg of my San Diego journey at Grandma and Papa's house. This corresponded with my last day working remote for my old job. I spent Friday morning in their garage wrapping up my projects, typing farewell emails, and saying goodbye to everyone.<br />
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I emerged around noon to Grandma's simple yet comforting lunch of tuna sandwiches, pickles, Pringles, and chicken noodle soup. This was a staple meal at Grandma's house when I was a child, along with rocky road ice cream drizzled in chocolate syrup.<br />
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Nostalgia was a big theme of the visit. Papa showed me a broiler pan he bought for 35 cents 30 years ago at a garage sale, one that has been trusty ever since. He also bought me one of my own to take home.<br />
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After looking at some slides of my mom and my Aunt Kelly from high school, including a few of Mom in her famous <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=drum+major&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=9YR&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=oKMKU5aJPMWCogTvxYDwAQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1229&bih=645&dpr=0.9#channel=sb&q=drum+major&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&safe=off&tbm=isch">drum major outfit</a>, it was off to the kitchen to make a recipe for chicken parisienne that came with Grandma's first crock-pot (although we made it in the oven to save time).<br />
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Mom came over for dinner. She's in the middle of moving between houses and handling the action items from the home inspection, but I was glad that I was able to see her. The chicken parisienne was great; it's amazing how a little chopping, mixing, and baking can go a long way.<br />
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The next day for lunch, we tried our hands at a quiche.<br />
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Some things I learned:<br />
<ul>
<li>While I've been learning that it's useful / fun to substitute ingredients as your tastes allow, some things really do need to be precisely right. Grandma said to pay attention about whether the recipe calls for condensed versus evaporated milk, <a href="http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/condensed-milk-vs-evaporated-milk.htm">because it can really make a pivotal difference</a>. Also, she said she once accidentally put in a can of jalapenos instead of a can of green chilies; you can imagine the consequences.</li>
<li>Grating cheese really isn't that hard. We always have been buying the pre-grated. </li>
</ul>
My time in San Diego will hopefully open up my culinary prowess. I've already bought ingredients for two more recipes. For now, it's back home and to the real world, as I start my new job and get back in the swing of things up here.<br />
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<br />CHICKEN PARISIENNE<br />
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6 medium chicken breasts<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Paprika<br />
1/2 cup dry white wine, vermouth, (optional)<br />
1/2 onion <br />
1 10 1/2-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup<br />
1 4-ounce can slice mushrooms, drained (1/2 cup)<br />
1 cup dairy sour cream<br />
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Sprinkle chicken breasts lightly with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place chicken breasts in crock-pot.<br />
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Mix white wine, soup, sour cream, onion, and mushrooms until well combined. Pour over chicken breasts in crock-pot. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve sauce over chicken with rice or noodles.<br />
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SHRIMP CHILIE QUICHE<br />
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1 regular pie crust shell, thawed<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 small can (5.33 fl oz) evaporated milk<br />
2 tablespoons flour<br />
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt<br />
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese<br />
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese<br />
1/2 cup chopped onion<br />
1 can chopped green chilies<br />
1 can deveined medium (or small) shrimp, drained<br />
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Preheat oven and cookie sheet to 450 F. Partially bake pie shell about 6 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Beat together eggs, evaporated milk, flour and garlic salt. (Mixture need not be smooth.) Stir in cheese, onion and chilies. Pour into pie shell. Spread shrimp on top of custard mixture. Bake on preheated cookie sheet, until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-79431307419077317782014-02-19T11:29:00.001-08:002014-02-23T18:22:46.603-08:00San Diego cooking, part 2 (featuring enchiladas)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(See part 1 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-1-featuring.html">here</a> and part 3 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-3-featuring.html">here</a>).<br />
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After a few days at Dad's, I've moved on to my step-sister Heather's house. I hate calling her my step-sister instead of sister, but I guess you have to sometimes, as someone asked us yesterday how we could be siblings but only be 3 months apart in age.<br />
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Like mother like daughter, Heather is a great cook in her own right. I had to learn how to make her famous enchiladas. So we cooked it together, while Heather made her older daughter, Aubrey, a separate dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. All of this motherhood multitasking is seriously insane to me.<br />
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As I was tearing the meat off the rotisserie chicken, I told Heather how Sharon and I always call it "space chicken," because the plastic lid makes it look like the chicken is about to lift off into space. We also made strawberry dip for dessert. Below is Aubrey showing her appreciation.<br />
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A few things I learned:<br />
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<ul>
<li>You don't always have to use every ingredient or measure everything super precisely. This is especially true for casserole-type recipes. We were left with a little more enchilada sauce in the can, but trying to use it all would have just made the recipe unnecessarily soupy. If we have leftover chicken, we can put it in a broth or use it for a sandwich for lunch the next day. These opportunities will come up a lot more as I cook more frequently.</li>
<li>I can branch out from existing recipes. I'm a huge veggie fan (as evidenced by <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-which-greg-cooks.html">putting together a salad</a> the other day), so I can easily dream up versions of this recipe that incorporate green onions, bell peppers, etc.</li>
<li>I'm learning to keep diligent notes, as the two recipes I've done so far in San Diego came from cooks who have it memorized. Combined with my bad memory, I guess I'm just a process-focused person who likes documentation. Hopefully the recipe below is a faithful re-creation.</li>
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CHICKEN ENCHILADAS</div>
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Vegetable oil</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">12 corn tortillas<br />
Rotisserie chicken</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Green enchilada sauce, 28-oz can </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Shredded Mexican-blend cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Diced green chilies -- two small cans<br />
Black olives -- large can</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Heat oil in a small saucepan. Fry the tortillas one at a time, flipping on each side, until they are hard. Shake the oil off before setting aside on a plate covered in a paper towel.
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pull apart the meat from the rotisserie chicken into medium chunks. In a 12-inch pan, combine the following into three layers of approximately the same height: tortillas (break apart if need to fill in corners/sides), cheese, chicken, chilies, olives, and enchilada sauce. Top the final layer with a good amount of cheese and sprinkle enchilada sauce on top of that. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Let stand 5-10 minutes, then serve. Feeds 4-5.</span></div>
Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-53639103504038739512014-02-16T22:35:00.001-08:002014-02-23T18:22:59.612-08:00San Diego cooking, part 1 (featuring pulled pork)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(See part 2 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-2-featuring.html">here</a> and part 3 <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/san-diego-cooking-part-3-featuring.html">here</a>).<br />
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I'm spending a week in San Diego ahead of my new job. I'll be staying with my dad and step-mom, then my step-sister, then my grandparents. I emailed each household asking them to teach me a recipe one night and give me general cooking tips. The first cooking adventure was tonight, as I helped my step-mom, Pam, make pulled pork in a crock pot.<br />
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But before we could get started, we were in for a busy day. We left the house at 5:45 a.m. because Dad and Pam's friend from work were <a href="http://www.cal1020.com/">running a 10-mile race along the coast near Del Mar</a>. They were both troopers, finishing in around 1:30. Pam sat out with a leg injury, and I sat out with general laziness and inability to run for that long. It's the first time I've seen a marathon-esque event in person, and it looks pretty fun. It might inspire me to train for one in the future (maybe even come down next year for the same event).<br />
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Anyways, Pam's leg has been bugging her for about a week, so we had a quick trip to the hospital to get it checked out. The doctors say she should be fine in a few weeks. With that, if was off to the kitchen.<br />
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Pam and I have a similar sense of humor. There were a lot of quips are where the pork is actually pulled from (with some crude suggestions). She's also one of my favorite cooks; <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-role-reversed-valentines-day.html">I made her chicken divan recently</a>, and I've always been amazed at the skill she's shown whipping up a huge Thanksgiving / Christmas dinner.<br />
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The base of the recipe is pretty simple: just some water, this thing called "liquid smoke," a sliced onion, and some pork shoulder / Boston butt. Which of course lead to: "Why does it say shoulder and Boston butt on the label? Well, which is it, the shoulder or the butt?" Since we had less time than normal for crock potting due to the race and hospital, we cooked it on high for 3-4 hours.<br />
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When the meat was nearly done, we took it out from the crock pot and drained most of the remaining liquid (keeping the onion slices and stray pieces of meat). Then began the pulling, in which we shredded the pork and made sure to remove all of the fat along the way. This was the most time-consuming part, and sort of hard to do because the pork was hot and I was either burning my fingers or futility trying to remove the fat just using a fork. Then it was throw the shredded meat back in, squirt in amble amounts of barbecue sauce, cook for a little longer, serve on some buns, and you're ready to go. It was a delicious meal, and honestly a lot less work than I would have thought! It would have never occurred to me to cook such a thing, as I have been so limited to stove top.<br />
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A few things I learned:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I've always been uncertain about when things are done, especially if there's a long range in a recipe, or if I'm cooking meat a la carte. Pam encouraged me to get familiar with certain indicators I could use, such as color of the meat, tenderness, and temperature as measured by a food thermometer. I think it just takes practice, but it's pretty apparent how much different a done pork shoulder (or should I say butt?) looks from when it started.</li>
<li>When pulling the pork, make sure to take it completely out of the crock pot first. Otherwise, the pieces of fat and the pieces of onion will be hard to distinguish.</li>
</ul>
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<br />Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-64454657108614022802014-02-14T19:47:00.002-08:002014-02-14T19:47:49.663-08:00A role-reversed Valentine's Day (featuring chicken divan)Sharon went off to work on BART and then came home to build furniture. Our move from DC went off pretty well, but we had to rebuy a TV stand that got busted in the process. The second pic is the result of me asking Sharon to "show me your manly muscles."<br />
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Meanwhile, I stayed home (working remotely for a bit to close out my old job), did the dishes, and continued my fledgling cooking spree, opting tonight for my step-mom Pam's famous chicken divan. The melted cheesy goodness mixed with the croutons (second crouton reference in as many posts!) really does it for me.<br />
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I thought I had never made it before and even asked Pam for the recipe recently, but I dug up an email from her from 2009 in which she had already sent it to me. I had replied back that I had made it and "felt like I used every dish in the house." Maybe I'm getting better at cooking, because it didn't seem as overwhelming this time. Since I had no memory of making this before, it spurred me even more toward writing some of these things down. Despite a small to non-existent audience, it gives me sort of accountability to keep trying. <br />
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Tomorrow, it's off to San Diego for a week to see my family before starting my new gig in San Jose. I have arranged for more cooking to follow.<br />
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Recipe: CHICKEN DIVAN<br />
<br />
Put into glass Pyrex dish first to last:<br />
<br />
20 oz cooked broccoli (fresh or frozen)<br />
2 cups cooked cubed chicken (can buy it in a bag all ready to go, or
cook raw chicken breast or tenders by boiling them until cooked through)<br />
<br />
Mix: 2 cans cream of chicken soup<br />
1 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 tsp. lemon juice<br />
1/2 tsp. curry powder<br />
<br />
Pour over broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.
Take 1/2 cup croutons (whatever flavor you like) and mix with 1 tsp.
melted butter.<br />
Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, watch for the sauce to start boiling. Serve and enjoy!Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-67202017311457277782014-02-13T20:45:00.000-08:002014-02-14T08:26:47.417-08:00In which Greg cooksHey! I hope you've been keeping in touch via other means, since it's been nearly 3 years since I've posted here. We've since moved to San Francisco, gotten new jobs, and all that jazz.<br />
<br />
Anywho, every 6 months or so, I decide that I'm going to become a better cook. Our typical routine has been pan-fry some sort of meat, make frozen vegetables or spinach, and prepare some rice. And I know even that's ambitious compared to other people our age. But now I'm going to try some actual recipes. Who knows how long this will last? Maybe another 3 years will go by before my next post, but hopefully this will be more of a regular thing. I'm mostly writing for selfish reasons, so that I can remember things that I've cooked.<br />
<br />
A week ago, I decided I wanted to make a killer salad. I was always a big fan of the salad bar at my work cafeteria. This was the first time I went and bought 10+ ingredients for the specific purpose of tossing a salad. I just picked a lot of my favorite things: chicken, feta, croutons, green onions, olives, walnuts, etc. It's amazing how satisfying just mixing these things in a bowl can be.<br />
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Tonight, we've used a recipe for a book given to us by Sharon's friend Yesenia, who works at Chronicle Books. I made sauteed pork chops with sweet potato and apples from the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452106703/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1452106703&linkCode=as2&tag=ecotri-20">One Pan, Two Plates</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ecotri-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1452106703" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I learned a few things:<br />
<ul>
<li>I should have made all four pork chops instead of just the two the recipe called for, mainly because I am a fatty. </li>
<li>A little bit of cinnamon goes a long way. You can taste it in every bite despite only having 1/4-tsp in the recipe.</li>
<li>Sharon will make a grossed-out face any time mustard is involved. So that just means more for me.</li>
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Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-54012804369240224662011-04-11T08:11:00.001-07:002011-04-11T08:11:01.032-07:00Dressing up the dudesBeing a guy in a wedding is fairly easy. The No. 1 thing I keep reminding Greg to do is to show up and not be late. Basically the only other task that's totally in his court is getting his guys to Men's Wearhouse.<br />
<br />
A couple of months ago, we went to our local mall, flipped through the laminated pages of tuxes, and within 20 minutes, we'd decided on what the guys would wear.<br />
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We had considered going the "everyone get their own black suit and we'll get nice ties" route, but Greg wanted a more unified look. <br />
<br />
At first, Greg wanted to go with a gray tux since it's one of our wedding colors. However, MW only has one option in gray to rent, and Greg wasn't feeling it. The fit was a little too boxy for his build, and if you look at the original post with the photo below, if the groomsmen wear the same one, that's a LOT of gray at the altar.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg299/carlylane131/Disney%20Brides/Disneyland_Hotel_Wedding-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg299/carlylane131/Disney%20Brides/Disneyland_Hotel_Wedding-19.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Let's pretend there's nothing else besides the tux in this photo. (<a href="http://www.disneyweddingblog.com/2010/09/wedding-spotlight-elizabeth-kyle.html">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We did keep the gray in mind once Greg picked out a black tux he liked. Since he is <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/09/behold-vanishing-white-tie.html">against an all-white ensemble</a>, we went with a nice silver for him like the one below (and I hope he's as happy as the model at the wedding!).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deluxtux.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/VestHerringbonePlatGreatPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.deluxtux.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/VestHerringbonePlatGreatPic.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I'm the king of the world! (<a href="http://www.deluxtux.com/id3.html">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For the groomsmen, Greg picked out a red vest and tie combo, so they'll look a little like this, except a bit less serious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.darbyelizabethphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/1461_2009Nov14_BodusM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.darbyelizabethphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/1461_2009Nov14_BodusM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">C'mon, put on a happy face - you all look so sharp! (<a href="http://www.darbyelizabethphotography.com/2009/11/30/michelle-brock-friends/">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">How do you think Greg did with the tux choices? I can't wait to see everything in action!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-74744290622992913392011-04-09T07:03:00.000-07:002011-04-09T07:03:38.769-07:00Hi from North Carolina!So, it's less than two months from our big day, and we're spending this weekend on a whirlwind of driving. Our college pal Travis is getting married today, and we can finally say we've been to North Carolina!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLu_o453aHCOshHSI5ZPhNUTHP0XP4_TSXMFzezg-r-gkYXWNvapNWHP_8FGN3LCKlKYfPFmlNCaXE0B9pQZdlth1qEPFs84RaloALIhBJIQNUIypyGqygkj2j27ytzK_Ct_7zhkRoJnE/s1600/OrionPose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLu_o453aHCOshHSI5ZPhNUTHP0XP4_TSXMFzezg-r-gkYXWNvapNWHP_8FGN3LCKlKYfPFmlNCaXE0B9pQZdlth1qEPFs84RaloALIhBJIQNUIypyGqygkj2j27ytzK_Ct_7zhkRoJnE/s320/OrionPose.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Orion staffers in '06 - that's Travis with the sports section. (photo courtesy Chico State)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's exciting to go to another wedding before ours, since planning for June is really ramping up and getting a tad stressful. It's a great way to remind ourselves what a wedding is really about: celebrating the commitment to being married. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After this, we start the 4.5-hour drive back to D.C. to catch a concert tomorrow night. It's Greg's favorite Spanish pop act, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Juanes/e/B0017PCMSA">Juanes</a>. You may or may not encounter some of his tunes come June... ;)</div><br />
Here's hoping everything goes smoothly - more posts to come soon!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-70990257762789102522011-03-25T20:03:00.000-07:002011-03-25T20:03:36.710-07:00Let's get movingAfter signing oodles of paperwork yesterday, we got the keys to our new place free and clear! We went out with our pal Matt to a fab celebration dinner. All was fun until we realized only about 30% of our apartment had been packed. That's where we are now -- and the movers get here in a mere nine hours.<br />
<br />
But now for pictures!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizL8icbgfh9HKCiF6A3sg6-yJX-s99v5bJyY1JDtx8oixLtJfjcNREWgHLfdc7XYOCyTTRvPibeh68KJbuu5vJcFN6vnRfQvbclmWOltJgkZ3qBMci_zjifyBbDh892dozFqi7GKdnfOo/s1600/gregoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizL8icbgfh9HKCiF6A3sg6-yJX-s99v5bJyY1JDtx8oixLtJfjcNREWgHLfdc7XYOCyTTRvPibeh68KJbuu5vJcFN6vnRfQvbclmWOltJgkZ3qBMci_zjifyBbDh892dozFqi7GKdnfOo/s320/gregoven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Greg's favorite part of the new place is the upgraded kitchen, yeah-yuh!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5obxRTil2TulULCMHTRyDqFRMTtKVyI9zLkIwk8_EfieOKNxKhz0sqSniXKxZhAr1DGaJf2N8xut52FRLrPTIoItz4TT5zZ8gyhP-rq5m9EKvIkfAZrCBL3aI-1FvUotmZDA_rlP98A/s1600/apolloboxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5obxRTil2TulULCMHTRyDqFRMTtKVyI9zLkIwk8_EfieOKNxKhz0sqSniXKxZhAr1DGaJf2N8xut52FRLrPTIoItz4TT5zZ8gyhP-rq5m9EKvIkfAZrCBL3aI-1FvUotmZDA_rlP98A/s320/apolloboxes.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Apollo loves dark spaces, so he took to the boxes. Here he is slinking out after a nap.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfExmKOufrxW-5-yiOBjEZ8ggAX-k0xUwBB8A6uPMEdZ-jxTrbqiWHofkZFq1BZjyEdfxfyJ89HWZ7f6jgnUcWnEP2H3I-PxnFcgufDNjuqllpLbO9OWqjktAgknZmqrFQHiQXtjpsDzA/s1600/apollonap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfExmKOufrxW-5-yiOBjEZ8ggAX-k0xUwBB8A6uPMEdZ-jxTrbqiWHofkZFq1BZjyEdfxfyJ89HWZ7f6jgnUcWnEP2H3I-PxnFcgufDNjuqllpLbO9OWqjktAgknZmqrFQHiQXtjpsDzA/s320/apollonap.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">But I'm sure he'll miss his first home a little, too!</div><br />
Back to packing! We'll post pics of the new place once we get settled. :)Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-74815730689010605182011-03-22T08:15:00.001-07:002011-03-22T08:15:01.483-07:00On being uncrafty and asking the galsI'm far from being crafty. I can assemble Ikea furniture, but I'm too impatient and critical (and a shopaholic) to make things myself. I figure I'm keeping people who sew, knit, etc., in business! <a href="http://www.etsy.com/about">Etsy</a> for the win!<br />
<br />
Since the economy tanked, do-it-yourself projects (DIY) have become uber-common in the wedding sphere. "So, you love personalized napkins? Break out a screenprinting machine and do them for a fraction of the cost!" This works for people who like spending time doing crafty things and spending money buying crafty gadgets. I'm more of a "click and credit card" gal (at least I'm honest).<br />
<br />
Unless it involves a computer. College exposed me to some desktop publishing programs, so I'll at least give <i>real simple </i>paper products a try.<br />
<br />
Case in point? "Making" cute cards to ask my friends to be part of the wedding. I use quotes because I'm not really a DIY bride -- call me a resourceful one: I know when to leave things to professionals, but I'll do my darndest to still get a deal.<br />
<br />
I bought a set of blank white notecards and envelopes from Target ages ago, thinking I'd make my own cards for holidays (my shopping side got the best of me, and I splurged at <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/">Paper Source</a>). I came across a <a href="http://www.weddingchicks.com/freebies/">free customizable graphics service</a> offered by The Wedding Chicks. The blog teams up with fab designers and presents the freebies in a super easy-to-use interface. Win and win.<br />
<br />
I picked out the <a href="http://www.weddingchicks.com/freebies/will-you-be-my-cards/will-you-be-my-bike-card/">bicycle built for two</a> design and spent a few minutes experimenting with colors. I simply changed my page setup in Microsoft Word to the notecards' size, added some cute dotted brackets and punctuation (go grammar!), and printed. Time spent: 20 minutes for the cards and about an hour to write memories and funny stories for my ladies on the back. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKBBrUK7YBm9-dlAQeofEkgSszZ3Obxx-_R1dMkPazLNU7Jq9Ek_mtxJEAp7VlD0qhQBPjaOSjxAkkkzHvTIcKDnys_zckmfk0LG5JUX4qJI1fjn46gPgr-EOHzasEgLg0VdEN5yUM4k/s1600/bridalpartydiy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKBBrUK7YBm9-dlAQeofEkgSszZ3Obxx-_R1dMkPazLNU7Jq9Ek_mtxJEAp7VlD0qhQBPjaOSjxAkkkzHvTIcKDnys_zckmfk0LG5JUX4qJI1fjn46gPgr-EOHzasEgLg0VdEN5yUM4k/s320/bridalpartydiy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ta da! (personal photo)</span></div><br />
Though I know the cards weren't necessary, it was easy to do, the ladies loved them -- and who doesn't love getting snail mail?! The whole "We're getting married" thing really started to sink in as I wrote to my best friends how much they mean to me. It was a fun project that was great for all involved!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-75098479683529598292011-03-19T09:50:00.001-07:002011-03-19T21:56:47.428-07:00Our busy offseasonGreg told me last month that <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/search/label/Nats">we love baseball</a> so much that when it's over, we don't really know what to do with ourselves. It's no coincidence that our wedding blogging drought coincides with the lack of baseball. Not because we're lazy - we've been busy!<br />
<br />
Our answer to being baseball-less seems to be: "Let's stress ourselves out with life changes." So, the news:<br />
<ul><li>October: We <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/11/our-new-bundle-of-joy.html">got a cat</a>, who is doing great and is definitely a mommy's kitty.</li>
<li>November/December: Spent the holidays in San Diego and San Francisco. (Recaps to come!)</li>
<li>December: Greg graduates from grad school. No more night classes!</li>
<li>January: Greg switches jobs and is loving data analysis at <a href="http://www.capitalone.com/">Capital One</a>.</li>
<li>Late January: We realize that since I love <a href="http://www.fool.com/">my job</a>, too, we should look into the D.C. area housing market.</li>
<li>February: Oh yeah, we have a wedding coming up. Let's start on invitations...</li>
<li>Mid-February: We fill out miles of paperwork, I get stressed like crazy, we put an offer on a place in Arlington, Va., and it gets accepted!</li>
<li>Currently: We're packing our apartment (ugh) and moving next week. </li>
</ul>The best part? Opening Day for the Washington Nationals is the 31st, yay!<br />
<br />
Now that the wedding's less than three months away, there will definitely be a lot of posts coming. And I changed the look of the blog. And I already have posts lined up. Let's play ball!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-51736042110023239342010-11-08T15:23:00.000-08:002010-11-08T15:23:27.357-08:00Our new bundle of joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2i_7yTFCmL337uVQZbtnQoc-xKIuM33-fkYeveNUjwrrFszYQyD3_aZuu5k8i7WfieYRVuVBi95tRFcSzTXNNTkM2m2rvGPSarUZJ5m1rcX50Wn-rCatI-7mtAx5Lw3lOlNNkh3cMmAE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2i_7yTFCmL337uVQZbtnQoc-xKIuM33-fkYeveNUjwrrFszYQyD3_aZuu5k8i7WfieYRVuVBi95tRFcSzTXNNTkM2m2rvGPSarUZJ5m1rcX50Wn-rCatI-7mtAx5Lw3lOlNNkh3cMmAE/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Meet Apollo! He's a very spunky kitty whom we invited into our life about a month ago.<br />
<br />
I've had more exposure to dogs than cats, while Sharon has never had a pet before, so there was a bit of an adjustment period at first. But he's doing great now. He loves to rip out all the feathers from his toys, and he is easily amazed by such standard household appliances as water faucets and printers.<br />
<br />
The week we got Apollo, construction began outside our building to remove some pipe deep in the ground. I'm sure he's loved dealing with that while we're away at work.Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-60996656447280353202010-09-24T08:56:00.000-07:002010-09-24T08:56:01.001-07:00Hitting it off with our photographerFor those who don't know me that well, I'm kind of superstitious. I wish on clocks when it's 11:11, think it's funny that Greg's area code is the same as his birthday, and will buy almost anything when it's the last one in my size. It's some combo of fate + kismit + meant to be.<br />
<br />
So when I was hunting for a photographer and found Sean Walker, it was only fitting that he started his business after <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=walker001sea">a stint in minor-league baseball</a>. And loyal readers will know how much <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/06/sharon-has-favorite-baseball-team.html">we love baseball</a>, and <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/09/love-and-baseball-schedules.html">it seems to love us back</a>. He got injured after a few years and decided to make the hobby he'd developed on the road into a new career. (He's been booked every weekend this summer and into October!)<br />
<br />
The phone calls I've had with Sean start out with poking fun at our Washington Nationals, hoping the best for his San Diego Padres and eventually talking about shooting the wedding. When we finally met him for our engagement photos, we could tell that his personality was a great fit. He's energetic, spunky and down to earth. When <a href="http://seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/08/la-jolla-ca-sharon-and-greg-engagement.html">he blogged about our session</a>, he even extended an invitation to a game. (Alas, we won't be back in SD until Thanksgiving.)<br />
<br />
His ease with making us comfortable in front of the camera could be chalked up to him having been there before; he and his wife, Brianne (who will be our second shooter), were models for a <a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/08/03/modern-outdoor-wedding-inspiration/">Jessica Claire photography workshop</a> this year in SoCal. :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cache.stylemepretty.com/wp-content/submissions/uploads/jc@jessicaclaire.net/4182/20100406workshop-382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://cache.stylemepretty.com/wp-content/submissions/uploads/jc@jessicaclaire.net/4182/20100406workshop-382.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Aren't they adorable?!<br />
(<a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/73432">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And when you couldn't think things could get bigger than being a baseball player then starting your own business ... Sean and Brianne are expecting their first child! They had the most genius idea for finding out whether they're having a boy or girl, and it involved this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/seanwalkerphotog/Personal-%20Cake%20cutting/42654436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/seanwalkerphotog/Personal-%20Cake%20cutting/42654436.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Seriously, the coolest idea! (<a href="http://team-walker.blogspot.com/2010/09/18-weeks-cake-cutting-party.html">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">You must check out the result (and more fun pics) of their gorgeous party <a href="http://team-walker.blogspot.com/2010/09/18-weeks-cake-cutting-party.html">on their personal blog</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Greg and I wish Sean and Brianne the best of luck with what life's got in store and can't wait for them to shoot the wedding!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-56921122866826608502010-09-14T18:59:00.003-07:002010-09-14T19:44:20.338-07:00Love and baseball schedules<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've been anxiously awaiting the release of the 2011 MLB schedule, which finally came out tonight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About halfway through this season, we bought full season tickets for the rest of the year at Nationals Park, which came after my mostly-in-jest <a href="http://econtricks.blogspot.com/2010/03/washington-nationals-are-spying-on-me.html">battle with the Nationals ticketing office</a> and <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/06/sharon-has-favorite-baseball-team.html">Sharon's discovery that she has a favorite baseball team</a>. Between then and now, we've acquired about 12 Nationals T-shirts (Sharon has one each for pitchers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard and yet another urging the Nats to <a href="http://blog.letteddywin.com/">Let Teddy Win</a>), five or six ballcaps (one of which Sharon got Clippard to sign during a blood drive), two balls I caught during batting practice (one of which Sharon later got pitcher Doug Slaten to sign when she spotted him in plainclothes in the stands during his suspension), two or three songs from iTunes that the players use when they come to bat (the full list is <a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/2010/8/30/1658485/nationals-2010-at-bat-music">here</a>; my favorite is "Prrrrum" for Alberto Gonzalez, despite the fact that Cosculluela appears to be wearing a Pirates hat in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_llXgNF774">music video</a>, though I am also partial to Pudge's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKJsSPATDLY">early '90s "Check Yo Self" goodness</a>), numerous gross-out moments from Adam Kennedy's <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11330913">disgusting habit of spitting his chewing tobacco into his hand and then tossing it into the outfield after reaching base</a>, and various other Nationals knick-knacks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, yeah, we've grown to like the team a fair bit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're definitely going to renew our season tickets for next year, but we haven't decided yet between the full or half season plan. One big consideration was whether we'd have to miss a bunch of home games around our June 4 wedding in San Francisco (and also have to find a way to dispose of the tickets). We were planning to get to California a few days before and then maybe take a weeklong honeymoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turns out, the Nationals will be on an <a href="http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=was&m=6&y=2011">11-game road trip</a> (their longest of the season) at precisely that time. Sharon noticed this and was blown away. Then I pointed out the cities where the team would be traveling: Phoenix (where Sharon first worked out of college and <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/search/label/proposal">where she got her surprise proposal</a>), San Francisco (Sharon's hometown and our wedding locale), and San Diego (my hometown and unanimous best city in America). Not to mention that NL East teams only visit each NL West team once a year, making the scheduling fluke that much more unlikely.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not usually one for signs, but this coincidence makes me incredibly happy. I can't wait for another season at the ballpark with my all-time favorite seatmate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSsYt9qXfpCIlMLWn7VaMz2MtzfSYApNHRxyX4nUrCkjKtJrxY1-U4VNqZhgJPyenj-1rDwde50FMDUx2ndRFrxI9X0qAGEEDZnt6Qmt4gITUq8JwjpbiGGtTRVnmuDTkWmHTd-ncVgo/s1600/june2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSsYt9qXfpCIlMLWn7VaMz2MtzfSYApNHRxyX4nUrCkjKtJrxY1-U4VNqZhgJPyenj-1rDwde50FMDUx2ndRFrxI9X0qAGEEDZnt6Qmt4gITUq8JwjpbiGGtTRVnmuDTkWmHTd-ncVgo/s320/june2011.jpg" /></a></div>Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-42709570788020093792010-09-05T15:18:00.001-07:002010-09-05T15:19:54.393-07:00Behold, the vanishing white tie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40202825@N00/386313984/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/386313984_36a156fb2e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Creative Commons photo from </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40202825@N00/386313984/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">babiegirl on Flickr</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div><br />
Sharon and I noticed a trend when looking through various wedding blogs and suit shops: a lot of grooms dig the white-tie, white-vest, white-shirt combo.<br />
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Check it out for yourself on <a href="http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=isch:1&q=wedding+groom&revid=2000718808&sa=X&ei=BxCETN2SA8GBlAfYq42MDg&ved=0CCkQ1QIoAw&biw=1024&bih=473">Google Images</a> (it was the least biased way I could think of demonstrating this); at least half the guys have white ties. Here's <a href="http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/seanwalkerphotog/Stephanie%20and%20Cuen/691ac2ac.jpg">another example</a> (<a href="http://seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/07/hume-lake-stephanie-and-cuen-wedding.html">full post</a>) from a wedding that our photographer shot.<br />
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Each time, I think: where is the tie? Oh, there it is! You just have to look <i>very close</i>.<br />
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I understand that weddings are extremely bride-centric, and that, yes, the man's all-white ensemble does technically match the white dress, but it all makes the groom fade into the background.<br />
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Some alternative ideas that I'm exploring:<br />
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(1) Match your tie to your suit (<a href="http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/seanwalkerphotog/Cat%20and%20Jason%20wedding/042a106b.jpg">example picture</a> and <a href="http://seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/08/ocean-view-villas-sunset-cliffs-cat-and.html">full post</a>), and have the groomsmen wear a different color tie.<br />
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(2) Match all the ties to the bridesmaids' dresses, and have the groomsmen wear a different color shirt (<a href="http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/seanwalkerphotog/Alexis%20and%20Joey%20Wedding/af999887.jpg">example picture</a> and <a href="http://seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/kate-sessions-park-alexis-and-joey.html">full post</a>).<br />
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Finally, lest any of you question my fashion sense, let it be known that I've been rockin' the sexy ever since high school, as the below photo attests.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gxaeJWUvP6Urlc6lFIvbcPUsyRWRIaNo6PV-VcE2jNMRzcIGNH_GvBHj0XaTlQcLEoolv3qQIV5rUpbWCqLOArwZakPfns1aPm9SIp-LWOB2cLCiyVmtiNKEOQrhvBsXWD2FFVX6ddc/s1600/basketball+greg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gxaeJWUvP6Urlc6lFIvbcPUsyRWRIaNo6PV-VcE2jNMRzcIGNH_GvBHj0XaTlQcLEoolv3qQIV5rUpbWCqLOArwZakPfns1aPm9SIp-LWOB2cLCiyVmtiNKEOQrhvBsXWD2FFVX6ddc/s320/basketball+greg.jpg" /></a></div>Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-42208364615801205822010-08-16T18:27:00.000-07:002010-08-16T18:27:12.073-07:00On being a bicoastal brideI'm not a numbers person at all, and weddings are all about them. Set a budget. Decide on a guest list. Add many numbers that didn't seem necessary at first. Then alas, break the budget. But for this Type-A crazy girl? My evil number is 2,813.<br />
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E.g., the number of miles separating us from our venue/San Francisco.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://6.media.bustedtees.cvcdn.com/b/2/bustedtees.f28eb23bb117ccf13352d4428a1c2cb7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://6.media.bustedtees.cvcdn.com/b/2/bustedtees.f28eb23bb117ccf13352d4428a1c2cb7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's definitely more of a marathon than a sprint. (<a href="http://www.bustedtees.com/longdistancerelationship">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>With the power of technology, getting the nitty-gritty decided is really not that bad. I made a trip to San Francisco early in the summer and used my five senses to truly check out some venues (which we'd already nitpicked at extensively online) and we chatted our photographer's ear off, but in the end, requests were made over the phone, the contract tweaked in e-mails and money exchanged via PDF or snail mail.<br />
<br />
When it comes to decorations, photography and all the other inanimate objects, it's fairly easy to make a decision. It's when you get people and events involved that things get a bit foggy.<br />
<br />
Greg and I are pretty laid-back people with fairly simple needs. We'd usually opt for a no-frills day together over getting gussied up to sip tea with our pinkies out. I keep in touch with friends across the U.S. thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, video chat and the good ol' telephone.<br />
<br />
So when "bridal shower" and "bachelorette party" come in one ear, all that comes out my other is "airfare."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vectorya.com/freevectors/wp-content/themes/eGallery/timthumb.php?src=http://vectorya.com/gallery/data/media/8/autopilot-cash.jpg&h=330&w=330&zc=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://vectorya.com/freevectors/wp-content/themes/eGallery/timthumb.php?src=http://vectorya.com/gallery/data/media/8/autopilot-cash.jpg&h=330&w=330&zc=1" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://vectorya.com/freevectors/vector-icons/cash-airplane-vector-dollar-sign/">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Greg moved to D.C. more than three years ago, so we've come to grips that flying to California is a permanent part of our regular budget as long as we're here. We've sacrificed some holidays to save cash, and we're considering ending that dry spell this year. Adding even more trips to the possibly longer holiday itinerary scares me and my credit cards.<br />
<br />
I love the fun traditions, and lord knows I miss my California family and friends. But then practical Sharon on my other shoulder wonders if these wedding events can be crammed in with holiday parties, and then I get a headache.<br />
<br />
Despite the 17-month engagement (which has now passed the 10-months-out mark!), it doesn't seem like there's enough time for everything.<br />
<br />
Then I wonder if my view of "everything" is a little bloated, or that I'm just too cheap to celebrate something that'll only happen once in my life.<br />
<br />
Has anyone else dealt with having a long-distance wedding and/or lifestyle? Any advice on my money vs. life-experience debate?Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-67330742849439824662010-07-31T11:41:00.000-07:002010-09-14T19:41:35.575-07:00Rewarding you with photography news!OK, OK, so <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/06/much-needed-update.html">I know I vowed</a> to be a better blogger, but some (good!) things happened in the past month that have severely cut down on blogging time. First, I've started a new job that's keeping me busy, and it feels good to be back in a newsroom-type environment. The real time-eater: Greg bought tickets for the rest of the Nationals' season. And it's all good <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/06/sharon-has-favorite-baseball-team.html">because I'm a fan</a>, ya know. ;)<br />
<br />
Because you've waited so long for an update, I'll tell you about our engagement photo session!<br />
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Photography is high on our priority list since pictures last forever (and we can show them off to everyone, haha). I browsed San Francisco area photographers, but the people I liked couldn't give me a lot for my budget, so I looked outside the area, knowing I'd have to add travel costs.<br />
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I considered someone in D.C. so we could have all the monuments, cherry blossoms, etc., in our engagement photos, but the cost of flying someone to Cali for the wedding was too much to handle.<br />
<br />
I looked in Greg's hometown of San Diego (since we'd be making a trip there sometime) and found Sean Walker. I checked out his <a href="http://www.seanwalkerphotography.com/index2.php#/home/">site</a> (<i>auto-starts with music, FYI</i>) and <a href="http://seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, and I was intrigued. He was able to tweak his pricing to quote us both a fabulous package AND travel costs for him and his wife — <b>all within budget</b>. No matter what stage you're at in life, those are three words that make things better!<br />
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We did the shoot last month when we were flying to San Diego to hang out with Greg's family and catch our very first LA Dodgers game. I spent hours picking outfits; we did a casual look and a dressier one. Sean picked out places for us to pose, and off we went. (It was basically two hours of public kissing, hehe.)<br />
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I'll expand on Sean's background and our interaction with him more in another post, but I know what you're waiting for: eye candy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgza0eUTjMxSB05lQkodJFSwirqYTlA7nwZXkNdaTaL6sDnyVaR1N20Yv4sMfTuaT07z8JJ9b1oKTs1my-5RgTYWgNwUGvJfojUUl5V3JXWPmboNTORTM_JEQvBtwDR2fYhk_V9Dij9r8w/s1600/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-110+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgza0eUTjMxSB05lQkodJFSwirqYTlA7nwZXkNdaTaL6sDnyVaR1N20Yv4sMfTuaT07z8JJ9b1oKTs1my-5RgTYWgNwUGvJfojUUl5V3JXWPmboNTORTM_JEQvBtwDR2fYhk_V9Dij9r8w/s320/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-110+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sitting pretty in downtown La Jolla.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89vERI9aLUCWki0vsaPpsQ1xM4NHWDxeCLBZgumlL9a1qJX9XmZiifYrx21wygO3lIk3hFQonHggLkUFxMunAEr7RT8q2IT0CsFwBRStsXW1-Xwdrnf-U7CJxwaz2K4V1VOdYS6bJRE8/s1600/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-438+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89vERI9aLUCWki0vsaPpsQ1xM4NHWDxeCLBZgumlL9a1qJX9XmZiifYrx21wygO3lIk3hFQonHggLkUFxMunAEr7RT8q2IT0CsFwBRStsXW1-Xwdrnf-U7CJxwaz2K4V1VOdYS6bJRE8/s320/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-438+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Being book nerds by the ocean. Kindle and Harry Potter, for the win!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I am so glad I was able to afford the engagement session. We got to see how Sean operated, were able to get comfortable in front of a camera and now have some great (non-iPhone) photos of ourselves! He even included <a href="http://www.pictage.com/photodisplay/XML/event.jsp?event_id=872993">an online gallery</a> where you can see the rest and buy prints, if you're interested (after registering for free).</div><br />
It was so fun getting to have some fun photo time with Greg, and from the looks of it, he really enjoyed it, too. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3jABJX0MvHwWCQR5Zq0igSoK6JNzB9tIFRACHj0PuefcLLfMMv0y3ybJbTI2b29Yl0nzgqYsF2gpVVohAut2sIvs9qNDTrhra1I1rdcxaJSNT8oLZTYPn4win6H1cKKIJYw7QrWUr_k/s1600/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-307+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3jABJX0MvHwWCQR5Zq0igSoK6JNzB9tIFRACHj0PuefcLLfMMv0y3ybJbTI2b29Yl0nzgqYsF2gpVVohAut2sIvs9qNDTrhra1I1rdcxaJSNT8oLZTYPn4win6H1cKKIJYw7QrWUr_k/s320/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-307+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: auto;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDwDrWW3NMZfe-UJJCOzfnehw_L7VFyIKgzjJlDKBscwm5U7Ltnb73Fhjlsj8CLL6YFz2XBj0HUxfQq9Ifzz5ZIuPFupE8EB4EFc6pIYf4QoAiTi2D8hF1PEKGYxb_SPkcPEtWuN1yaY/s1600/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-602+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDwDrWW3NMZfe-UJJCOzfnehw_L7VFyIKgzjJlDKBscwm5U7Ltnb73Fhjlsj8CLL6YFz2XBj0HUxfQq9Ifzz5ZIuPFupE8EB4EFc6pIYf4QoAiTi2D8hF1PEKGYxb_SPkcPEtWuN1yaY/s320/62710_Sharon+and+Greg_Engagement-602+copy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're not sick of looking at us, here's the link again to the <a href="http://www.pictage.com/photodisplay/XML/event.jsp?event_id=872993">online gallery</a>. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What do you think of our engagement photos? A worthy investment?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">* All photos copyright Sean Walker Photography and used with permission.</span></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-69644232324652739582010-07-07T06:24:00.000-07:002010-07-07T06:24:22.875-07:00Join our celebration of disgusting feelingsWho doesn't like <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-likes-woman-so-much-he-marries-her,2349/">a link to the Onion</a> once in a while?Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-78535843172498293262010-07-02T13:12:00.001-07:002010-07-06T04:36:35.410-07:00Fourth of July wedding inspirationWe return from San Diego only to be welcomed by a holiday weekend! We might not be close to family, but it'll still be a fun time with friends.<br />
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And of course, I can't let such a party weekend pass by without thinking about some Independence Day traditions that would make great wedding details.<br />
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<b>(1) Fireworks</b><br />
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Whether you love 'em, think they're too loud or get worried about their environmental impact, there's no denying that there's something magical about bursts of glitter in the sky. The wedding world caught onto this within the past couple of years, and sparklers have held the spotlight, as <a href="http://hitchedsalon.typepad.com/from-hello-to-hitched/2010/07/fireworks-sparklers.html">Hello to Hitched recently profiled</a>. They're easy to hold, photographers know how to make 'em look hot, and I'm all for some childhood fun. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hitchedsalon.typepad.com/.a/6a01156f4fdbc9970c0134850dbc60970c-800wi" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://hitchedsalon.typepad.com/.a/6a01156f4fdbc9970c0134850dbc60970c-800wi" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fun photography that glows - too cute!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://hitchedsalon.typepad.com/from-hello-to-hitched/2010/07/fireworks-sparklers.html">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sparklers are also a great way to get guests involved, and using them as part of the evening sendoff is popping up on blogs all over. My pals Joey and Chelsea, who got married in San Diego in January, did a sparkler exit, and it was so fun! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://danagrantphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cbw58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://danagrantphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cbw58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not my pals, haha. Just another super-cute couple — on a tandem bike, too!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://danagrantphotography.com/catie-ben-vintage-arizona-wedding-part-3/">source</a> — Their vintage wedding is worth a click.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, I'm not 100 percent sure if sparklers would be possible at our San Francisco wedding, seeing as my family had to head down the peninsula to light our safe-and-sane fireworks every Fourth of July. And I'm not the only one <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/06/28/wedding-sparkler/">being let down</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>(2) Pie</b></div><br />
I used to not really like pie — then again, I would sometimes only eat chicken nuggets for years of my childhood, so I'm no foodie — but now that apple pie has my seal of approval, it's a real treat. And even more sweets at a wedding? Yes, please.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://product.expotv.com/1/5/9/159714_150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://product.expotv.com/1/5/9/159714_150x150.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">What my mom usually whips up...</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://product.expotv.com/1/5/9/159714_150x150.jpg">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/09/mg-7611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/09/mg-7611.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sitting pretty at a country wedding's pie bar. PIE BAR?! Mmm.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/12/10/love-at-the-ranch-the-pie-bar/">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, cake will always be the winner in my book, mostly for the heaven that is buttercream. I'm always the kid to snatch the corner piece, even quicker if it has those big roses. I's gots ta have my frosting!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>(3) Red, white and blue</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This one is the easiest and the most fun tradition to <a href="http://www.inspiredbythis.com/2010/07/inspired-by-fourth-of-july-weddings/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InspiredByThis+%28Inspired+By+This%29">make your own</a>. I've found that some brides using this palette tend to shy away from the true shades of red and blue, leaning more towards mahogany, orange-red, cornflower or cerulean. How's that for some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Crayola_crayon_colors#Standard_Colors">Crayola color knowledge</a>? ;)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The save-the-date design below is one of my all-time favorites. It's by <a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/">Hello!Lucky</a>, a super-cool stationery studio based in San Francisco. I love the cartoon feel, and there's another ironic detail in the sample that tickles my fancy. Can you guess?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/media/catalog/product/S/T/STDC_VISITSANFR_LUC-POO_F_L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hellolucky.com/media/catalog/product/S/T/STDC_VISITSANFR_LUC-POO_F_L.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/visit-san-francisco-digital-save-the-date-card-lucky-red-and-pool.html">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What holiday traditions do you think would be fun at a wedding? Happy Fourth of July, and a big hello to our family and friends around the country!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-40617832421861028862010-06-23T11:36:00.000-07:002010-06-23T11:36:37.025-07:00A much-needed updateAlmost a month since my last post? Yikes, I've been a bad, bad blogger, and I'm sorry. Greg and I have had a very busy June on the job, social, baseball and wedding planning fronts! I'll expand on those later as I get pictures uploaded and posts brainstormed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ37JhooRJkHCtm0Q6bJADMIRG2KC56cX1h4bgdQ5QS99zF_8NjwVPTguCX8Etia0zqbIR3zXs7VJ9QfjCU2MlaBaBGzWv81MWOw2Eb60RTwhkyEXQ2lkCSNZU-XiT0Cs0n5CgADkq4M/s1600/ridingdabus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ37JhooRJkHCtm0Q6bJADMIRG2KC56cX1h4bgdQ5QS99zF_8NjwVPTguCX8Etia0zqbIR3zXs7VJ9QfjCU2MlaBaBGzWv81MWOw2Eb60RTwhkyEXQ2lkCSNZU-XiT0Cs0n5CgADkq4M/s320/ridingdabus.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We are le tired.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Greg's brother, Grant)</div><br />
But I can't leave you hanging just like that, so I will say that regarding all things wedding: (1) We set a date for next June, (2) we put money down on a venue, and (3) we decided on a photographer!<br />
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A very big clue for No. 2 can be found <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/56632/saturday-night-live-digital-short-im-on-a-boat" target="2nd">here</a> (video — clean version, of course) or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_on_a_Boat">here</a> (if you prefer to read).<br />
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As for No. 3, we're heading out soon to hang out in San Diego, catch a Dodgers game in L.A. — and meet with our fab photographer. :) Squee!<br />
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Despite having three big details decided, there's much more in store for this wedding bonanza...Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-4706666325330017972010-06-09T06:58:00.004-07:002010-09-14T19:41:14.105-07:00Sharon has a favorite baseball teamWhen Sharon was in high school, one of the moms gave her group of friends tickets behind the dugout to a Giants game. The girls, generally apathetic to baseball, spent the afternoon tanning and reading magazines.<br />
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Fast-forward to last night. We grabbed dinner at Fuddruckers in Chinatown. Sharon was shaking with anticipation, encouraging me to eat as quickly as possible.<br />
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"OMG! THERE'S GONNA BE <a href="http://blog.letteddywin.com/2010/06/08/nationals-invite-standing-room-crowd-and-pierogies-to-strasburgs-debut/">PIEROGIES</a>! AND <a href="http://blog.letteddywin.com/">TEDDY</a>! AND <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7970">CLIPPY</a>! AND <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8562">STRASSY</a>! AND MATTY! (our friend)"<br />
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To which I wryly replied, "You don't have to pretend to like baseball for my sake."<br />
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You see, last night was Stephen Strasburg's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060805223.html?hpid%3Dskybox&sub=AR">major league debut</a>. He's the most hyped pitcher I've ever seen. He struck out 14 batters, a Nationals record. The little scoreboard that tracks the K's ran out of room and just had a little button that said "plus 12 more." I've never been to a game where the whole crowd stands up every time there are two strikes, or where "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is completely drowned out by people chanting the pitcher's name.<br />
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These days, Sharon sometimes watches the Nats when I'm not home. Or pleads for us to go to the game on the weekend. Every time we go, she insists we take a picture with Teddy (there's even a picture on this blog of <a href="http://sharonandgreg.blogspot.com/2010/01/requisite-ring-post.html">Little Teddy rockin' the ring</a>). She runs up to the railing to cheer on the racing presidents in the middle of the fourth.<br />
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The other day, I said, "You know, Sharon, you actually have a favorite baseball team now." She thought about it for a moment, and then said I was right.<br />
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She's come a long way. It's nice to share an activity that we both genuinely enjoy (though I'm less in it for the mascots and hot relief pitchers).<br />
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Baseball has one final element in our lives. Often, Sharon will ask me to put on the radio broadcast of a West Coast baseball game when she heads to bed. She's always asleep within the inning.Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-4636614630037371072010-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:002010-09-14T19:41:35.576-07:00Everyone's growing up!My apologies for the blog delay; you know how life gets in the way sometimes? Being a grownup with all the work, appointments, apartment cleaning, phone dates and exercise is hard work!<br />
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Not to mention all the other big life changes going on. I've known people from my high school years who did the wedding thing and baby stuff way before me, but the social norm seems to be that the mid-20s to early 30s is when things all start happening fast. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sthedat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sthedat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">One <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/">Weddingbee</a> blogger's fridge — full of save-the-date magnets! (<a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/05/15/thank-goodness-our-fridge-is-magnetic/">source</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I see wedding photos of college acquaintances getting posted on Facebook every couple of months. A few people from my old job in Arizona have gotten married with another recently engaged. Many of my journalism pals have shuffled around to new jobs, with one from Arizona just this week <a href="http://www.visualeditors.com/apple/2010/06/sports-designer-luke-knox-moving-to-the-boston-globe/">taking a job</a> at <a href="http://www.boston.com/">The Boston Globe</a>, where <a href="http://www.zuriberry.com/">our friend from college</a> is covering sports! (Zuri also recently <a href="http://www.zuriberry.com/?p=1387">blogged</a> about the "how I got here and where I'm going" conundrum that Greg and I are facing.)<br />
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After being dorks and finishing college early, we were all about the "careers first" route, which took us through the ups and downs of journalism, him into the challenge of grad school, and me through the hecticness of unemployment, job searching and moving across the country.<br />
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Now with the end of grad school and his current job only months away, it gets us thinking about what should be next. Do we change the focus and move, perhaps closer to our families and old pals? Do we stick around in a city with tons of jobs, gaining more years of experience? Do we "take a break" and travel to Ghana? (That last one was a serious option in college!)<br />
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We have spent many late nights pondering our next steps in life, and the wedding is a definite consideration. We don't want the stress of moving/finding a job/settling in a new town in addition to finishing the planning and having deposits and expenses dent our bank accounts.<br />
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Personally, all I really know now is that if we want to shake things up, we might as well do it at this age before we become "makers of tiny humans"** or bogged down with a mortgage.<br />
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For those who have jumped over this life hurdle, do you have any advice? And is anyone else in the same boat? <br />
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** Brownie points if you know which recent TV show's finale that phrase is from! ;)Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-45886697668687712602010-05-20T14:15:00.000-07:002010-05-20T14:15:58.344-07:00Another guest of honor: The iPhoneIf Greg wasn't marrying me, there's a good chance he'd propose to his iPhone. He uses it to check e-mail, navigate when we're lost, read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C">Kindle</a> e-books, watch baseball games with <a href="http://www.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/index.jsp">MLB.TV</a> — pretty much everything except make a call. ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY_fdOuY2ukZVc1Xelk_570qKyLhSTaU2cp7Re_T58N82aSLJFwX4SX4kE6X5sMZX0OmZqcasTFJoKtlK_f8imcZsnxssqehk-eWZR4bRz9DiAB8wrRpxI0G2yaMZPWSgveEuHBBhfpU/s1600/0118101540-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY_fdOuY2ukZVc1Xelk_570qKyLhSTaU2cp7Re_T58N82aSLJFwX4SX4kE6X5sMZX0OmZqcasTFJoKtlK_f8imcZsnxssqehk-eWZR4bRz9DiAB8wrRpxI0G2yaMZPWSgveEuHBBhfpU/s200/0118101540-00.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not smelly; he does that with his hood when he's deep in thought, hehe!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(personal photo)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrrNfRUjw4L0Rj6B49aUJO5gbWYlti03iHe6OCB-s10Qqexrrdq7J5ypLEEH85gNmhEjL-TIs_S8UK4tp6wbSa25Th6D6iSeyICPE03ai33MdIAzVuqB6FkPZvnawFLL70RbZeSh7exA/s1600/DSCN0675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrrNfRUjw4L0Rj6B49aUJO5gbWYlti03iHe6OCB-s10Qqexrrdq7J5ypLEEH85gNmhEjL-TIs_S8UK4tp6wbSa25Th6D6iSeyICPE03ai33MdIAzVuqB6FkPZvnawFLL70RbZeSh7exA/s200/DSCN0675.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Despite no service in Mexico, he brought it along — to read. Hello? Beach?!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(personal photo)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And on our big day, I doubt he'll be able to put it away. I don't mind as long as he knows when to keep it tucked away and when to show it off, like in these gorgeous wedding photos:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH1ZWo70N7mrJeE_ESFO5cCUyG3MdAgk_XnC-snemvuSeCTs3IPf9Laht6U_qbd3fHpK0Tkt83URAOljOA9X1vMnhfXylqf534vxLpHF7nx0P8i23IMO4HDNrfEFASpuR7g1qf4NMieXz/s1600/modern+wedding+photo+by+Kuang+Woo+Photography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH1ZWo70N7mrJeE_ESFO5cCUyG3MdAgk_XnC-snemvuSeCTs3IPf9Laht6U_qbd3fHpK0Tkt83URAOljOA9X1vMnhfXylqf534vxLpHF7nx0P8i23IMO4HDNrfEFASpuR7g1qf4NMieXz/s320/modern+wedding+photo+by+Kuang+Woo+Photography.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We definitely need one of these! </div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dengee/">Kuang Woo Photography</a> via <a href="http://www.beautyandthebrideblog.com/2010/01/welcome-to-my-blog.html">Beauty and the Bride Blog</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://christinetremoulet.com/blog/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/0335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://christinetremoulet.com/blog/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/0335.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We know our techy friends will have theirs too.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://christinetremoulet.com/blog/wedding-photography/erika-nicks-wedding-photography-part-2-corpus-christi-texas">Christine Remoulet Photography</a> via Google search)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/14/screen-049.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/14/screen-049.png" width="230" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wedding-day text? This makes me melt!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70688355@N00/3828785288">source</a> via <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/04/19/an-iphone-wedding-appearance/">Weddingbee</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">With the dawn of Apple's newest gadget, the <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a>, at least one officiant is getting in on the action, too! Only in the Bay Area, home to Silicon Valley — though I gotta admit, it looks way slicker than a black portfolio.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chocostudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Harding_Park_Golf_Course_Wedding_Photos_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://www.chocostudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Harding_Park_Golf_Course_Wedding_Photos_7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.chocostudio.com/blog/harding-park-four-seas-wedding-photos/">source</a>)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I love that something so influential in our lives will make an appearance on our big day. Do you agree or think phones have no place at a wedding?</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-29879852480390770032010-05-17T05:42:00.001-07:002010-05-17T09:33:07.787-07:00How dorks divide up chores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfly/183857729/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVZ9qRtu8-z5ysnXLjbjyErN9Ahnw4cSpr1mcLXsEuadSJ3FVkar9t0yDHBWVDL9FiVBhJUSP4mSX7ETBCpI0TPaQSSJGXGrcVU1ODt3wNDC_ZLkYPbP1qLDTBjauxd58VIfCGFLfToU/s320/183857729_ff30efbd49.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">CC photo from </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfly/183857729/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">pfly</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> on Flickr.</span></div><br />
Sharon and I both hate mopping.<br />
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Well, we hate it for different reasons. I hate the moving-everything-out-of-the-way-and-putting-it-back-after part, and Sharon hates the actual-sweeping-and-mopping part. Once we articulated this, the solution was simple: have Sharon do the part that I hate and vice versa.<br />
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We divide other chores similarly. I never have to vacuum, and Sharon never has to do the dishes.<br />
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Why the rest of the world cares about this, I do not know. But I love her, and we make a great team.Greg Finleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06005875920306936097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7505404802391896605.post-86155986221570879502010-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:002010-05-16T13:17:00.533-07:00Robot performs wedding ceremony?It's crazy but true! Greg found <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/16/AR2010051600741.html?hpid=artslot">this gem</a> this morning at <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washingtonpost.com</a>; there are photos too, of course.<div><br />
</div><div>My favorite parts of the article are that people get robots to hang out with elderly people or play baseball.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In terms of our officiant, we have a couple of ideas in the works, but now it's time to enjoy a nice Sunday in the city!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030042003929453574noreply@blogger.com0