Friday, July 31, 2009

Fantastic Mr Fox



Trailer for 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' - starring Owen Wilson, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray.

Mr and Mrs Fox live an idyllic home life with their son Ash and visiting young nephew Kristopherson. But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox's wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers -- Boggis, Bunce and Bean -- who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr Fox at any cost.

Release Date: November 13th, 2009

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Toy Story

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are coming back to Theaters for two weeks in October in 3D! How fun! I think we may just have to fight the kids for a couple seats at the limited showings :). Do you like that the studios are starting to have 3D movies again? I have only really seen the animation movies in 3D (Ryan saw a scary movie in 3D), but I think at least the ones that I have seen so far - Coraline, Up, etc, have been done FANTASTICALLY!!

July is Over

Wowser. Can you believe that today is the last day of July? That means that Ryan and I have almost been married a full year. That means I have almost been at my current job for a full year. That means that hopefully the crowds at the beaches will start to dissipate and the 'locals' will be the ones left :). It also means that the summer is almost over. [I know, living in Southern California, there is not much difference in the seasons (it is usually always summer here).] That means that our fall growth group will be starting up soon. That means that it is almost my birthday. That means that I can start listening to Christmas music soon and people won't think that I am certifiably insane (even though I may be close, hehe).

What does the end of July mean to you?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

(500) Days of Summer



Synopsis: This is a story of boy meets girl, begins the wry, probing narrator of 500 Days of Summer, and with that the film takes off at breakneck speed into a funny, true-to-life and unique dissection of...
Tom, the boy, still believes, even in this cynical modern world, in the notion of a transforming, cosmically destined, lightning-strikes-once kind of love. Summer, the girl, doesn’t. Not at all. But that doesn’t stop Tom from going after her, again and again, like a modern Don Quixote, with all his might and courage. Suddenly, Tom is in love not just with a lovely, witty, intelligent woman – not that he minds any of that -- but with the very idea of Summer, the very idea of a love that still has the power to shock the heart and stop the world. --© Fox Searchligh

Bluegrass Banjo

Ryan and I went to some thrift stores this past weekend. We didn't have any purchases (well, I take that back, Ryan bought a flannel), but Ryan saw a banjo and had been thinking about it every day since. He decided to start looking on Craigslist to see if there were any cheaper and found one!! I told him he could get it as part of his birthday present. Here are a few pictures:



Now we just need to make me a GIANT bass so we can start a band, hehe!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Day Trip?

So I decided yesterday that I think Ryan and I should take a short road trip on Saturday, the only problem is - WHERE SHOULD WE GO?! Have any ideas?! It would be great to only have to drive about 2 hours max... I think we just need to get away, okay okay, maybe it is just me... But still, I think we need help on a destination - What are your thoughts?!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

WIN A VESPA!

Wow! Metromint doesn't just taste fresh, it feels fresh. Take one sip and experience the unique cooling sensation you can only get with the real mint in Metromint.

The minty coolness of Metromint is the perfect complement to the retro coolness of a Vespa. So this summer, Metromint is giving away one Vespa LX 150 to a lucky winner and one free case of Metromint to 50 second place winners.

Enter for your chance to win and feel the fresh air in your face and the minty coolness on your breath.


ENTER TO WIN HERE!! IF I DON'T WIN IT MYSELF I WOULD LOVE FOR ONE OF YOU TO WIN IT (and maybe let me ride it, hehe)!!!

3 Months Left

Dear Friends & Family:

A life is lost to suicide every 16 minutes in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds and the second leading cause of death among college students. However, most Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem. The impact suicide has on the lives of family members, friends, co-workers and the community is devastating. The loss of human potential is enormous.

On October 17th, 2009, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its fourth, annual 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk in San Diego, CA. We hope you will consider walking with us as we travel the beautiful paths at De Anza Cove in North Mission Bay to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.

A major goal of this event is to show support for the families and friends of the 32,000 Americans who die by suicide, and the 20 million people who suffer from depression, each year. Support of the community walks also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to see treatment.

On-line registration is now available at www.outofthedarkness.org. You may register individually or as part of a team. Please consider inviting your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to walk with you or to support your walk. If you are not able to join us, perhaps you would consider sponsoring a walker or making a donation to the San Diego walk. Check out my personal walker page here: http://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/mcdot.

Thank you ahead of time for your support in bringing suicide Out of the Darkness.


Sincerely,
Carlee

RC Pirates

We are up to 133 finds - whoo hooo!! We went down to look for a couple last night. (The Closer is on at 9pm, and not much is on before that so we decided to go out and see if we could get a couple caches in last night - we were only victorious with one, but hey, we still enjoyed ourselves)

Have you tried it yet?!

BDay Gift

I ordered myself an early birthday present last week and it came yesterday :). I had one of these watches last year, but it was pink. I broke it in Fiji on our honeymoon and I figured a year later it was time for me to get a new watch - and LIME GREEN is just super fun!!







PS If you are looking for a watch - I would definitely recommend Time Zone 123. They were a pleasure to order from!!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Choco-Banana

Another Lil' Chef creation :). Look at the yummy dessert that I made for Mr. Ryan. A banana cut up with Reese's shell on that and then granola sprinkled over that. Ryan thought it was tasty. I put it in the freezer for a bit to make sure that the shell hardened - but other than that I let it do its thing.


RSQ Clothing

Check out some of Ryan's work. He designed the logo for one of Tilly's brands - RSQ (pronounced like rescue). When Ryan's padres were in town this past weekend they each bought a pair! I think Ryan might grab some up too...

A little about the clothing line:

RSQ story...

Inpired by the varying styles and attitudes that span this globe of ours, RSQ Denim provides a unique perspective on what you need to cover your @**! Whatever your preference in style, fit, or wash, RSQ Denim has been there, done that - all for your comfort and pleasure. We believe in letting the wind direct you and the water move you - life is an adventure and our denim will help you get wherever your jeans may lead you.

RSQ at Tillys.com!


I'm so proud of you Peter Pie!!!

BOGO Concerts

I hear Live Nation is doing this all over, but here is the story about the San Diego deals...

2-for-1 concert tickets only available online

Live Nation will offer two-for-one tickets for six concerts at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.

The offer, which begins at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, will only be available online at LiveNation.com.

It is the latest in a series of discounts offered by the company, which produces more than 22,000 concerts annually in 33 countries around the world.

The concerts at Cricket for which the two-for-one deal will be offered are The Fray, July 28; Toby Keith, Aug. 13; Nickelback, Sept. 5; Def Leppard & Poison, Sept. 9; Brad Paisley, Oct. 2; and Marco Antonio Solis, Oct. 10.

The discounted tickets will only be offered in multiples of two.

Budget?

Looks like they may have FINALLY agreed on a budget for California... I think I'll believe it when I actually see it put into place...

State Budget Deal Reached

"It was like a suspense movie," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Like I said, we accomplished a lot."

With that, California's governor and a bipartisan group of leaders from both the state Assembly and Senate (known as the "Big Five") came to an agreement on a budget framework.

The deal ends months of negotiations since the governor called a special session in February.

The deal does not raise taxes--which was a non-starter for Republicans. It focuses mostly on borrowing billions and cutting back more than $15 billion. Not all the details have been announced yet but here is what we know so far:

*Furloughs of state workers for three days a week will continue for at least a year. Leaders say that will save them $1.3 billion.
*More than $2 billion will be borrowed from local governments including San Diego. That money will not be repaid before 2013.
*The IOU's the state is currently sending out should stop; that could saving the state $25 million a day in interest.

Cuts include:
*$3 billion to CSU and UC programs
*$1.2 billion to state prisons
*$1.3 billion to Medical


The rest of the article here.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Kicking Out Seals

I have many things to say about this, but I think I will try to refrain...

Judge orders removal of seals from Children's Pool

A judge has ordered the city of San Diego to begin dispersing the seals from the Children's Pool beach in La Jolla within 72 hours.

The city plans to comply by using a portable public-address system to emit the sounds of barking dogs to scare off the seals sometime between now and Thursday morning. The plan is expected to cost nearly $700,000, mostly because police officers will be needed to keep protesters from interfering.


The rest of the article here.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Free Admission

Cabrillo, other parks offer free admission

All national parks that typically charge entrance fees, including the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma, will offer free admission tomorrow and Sunday, and again Aug. 15 and 16.

The promotion is part of an effort by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit national parks.

There are 391 such sites across the country, including 147 that usually charge admission fees of $3 to $25.

Fees for activities such as camping, tours and concessions are not altered by the entrance-fee waiver.

But many of the parks' partners – such as tour operators, hotels, restaurants and gift shops – plan to offer additional discounts and promotions.

For more information, go to nps.gov.

Free Pastry

Starbucks Free Pastry Day: July 21, 2009
Free morning pastry with purchase of a beverage
Host: Starbucks Coffee Company
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Time: 5:00am - 10:30am
Location: At participating US Starbucks stores


We’re making a change: your food not only tastes better, it is better. To celebrate, we’re inviting you to bring this invitation to a participating U.S. Starbucks store to enjoy a FREE pastry* from opening** until 10:30am on July 21st, 2009 with the purchase of any beverage*.

Click to print your invitation:
http://www.starbucks.com/retail/print_free_pastry.html

Or open this page in a mobile device and show your barista:
http://www.starbucks.com/FreePastryDay

* Pastries included in offer are: Muffins, Scones, Bagels, Croissants, Rolls, Breads, Pound Cakes, Morning Bun, Coffeecakes, Cheese Danish, Apple Fritter, Doughnuts, Tarts, Pies, Gluten Free Orange Valencia Cake, Tropical Paradise Bar.

Offer available at participating U.S. stores with the purchase of any handcrafted beverage (handcrafted, brewed, iced). Limit one free pastry per customer. Offer good between opening and 10:30 a.m. or until pastries are gone, whichever comes first. Opening hours and pastry selection vary. Supplies are limited. Offer not valid in Hawaii, airports and travel plazas or at Barnes & Noble cafes. Starbucks reserves the right to cancel, amend or revoke the offer at any time due to business considerations or circumstances beyond its control. Starbucks is not responsible for errors, omissions, malfunctions, interruptions, deletions, delays or failures of operations. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Cash value 1/20 cent. Not valid if photocopied, altered or reproduced. Barista, please ring discount code 563. Our new food is not yet available everywhere; ask your barista for details. **For 24 hours stores – opening is 4 a.m.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Cream of the Crop

Ryan and I have been talking about going to this little natural grocery store that is down the street from us for months - Cream of the Crop. Sunday, on the way home from church, I decided that we would go and stop in for a deli sammie. I can't believe we waited as long as we had. We both got the Veggie with Avocado Sandwich. It was scrum-didly-umptious! I would definitely say check out the Juice & Deli Bar if you are ever around Cream of the Crop. I can say for sure that last Sunday was not the last time we will be stopping in!

Here is a little more about the store:

Cream of the Crop has been in business since December of 1989. It used to be just a regular mom and pop market. We totally converted the store towards Natural Foods. We have always enjoyed eating healthy. Our kids help us in the store now so you can say it is a family run Natural Food Market. Over the years we decided to bring in more Organic Choices to the area. We recently renovated the store with new equipment to bring us more up to date. We recently purchased new freezers. Now we have a much bigger selection of healthy frozen food choices. We carry the biggest selection of Organic Produce in the city. We carry Organic and Conventional Produce, Vitamins, Cosmetics, and a full Juice bar and Deli. We also have a full line of groceries. We have great healthy sandwiches and Smoothies made to order. We pride ourselves in customer service. Our store is approximately 3,000 square feet.

Our customers like shopping here because we feel we make people feel at home. We try our hardest to help people with all kinds of health issues that can be treated naturally. We know customers by name when they come in the store.

We get local deliveries just about everyday. We also support many local growers and small farms. We support local schools and we sponsor many local community sports for the kids and also local events. We supply lots of free literature and free audio information to customers. We buy Taste for Life magazine and give them away free to customers on a monthly basis.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hair Cut

I am planning on chopping my hair soon (to donate at least 10 inches to Locks of Love). Now I just need to figure out the hair cut that I would like to go for - so then it will help me to know if I can cut it yet or not :).

What are your thoughts? Do you like any of these? Or do you have different ideas?




Caching in Dana Point

Our friends Erik and Sarah were driving from Arizona to Oregon and stopped by Dana Point on the way. Here are some pictures of the time we spent together a few weekends ago!!





Check out the rest here. (There are about 20 more pictures from the Youngs that I stole :) )

Marriage Study

In love? It's not enough to keep a marriage, study finds

Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.

A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.

It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.

Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.

Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.

A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.


More of the article here.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Toms On E!

I just saw on TOMS Shoes Facebook page -

Tune in to the Daily 10 on E! at 7:30pm to catch an awesome piece on TOMS!!

I guess I saw it too late for my East Coast readers, but at least I will be able to catch it :).

Giant Squid

Massive Squid Wash Up in Quake Aftermath

Jumbo Humboldt squid wash-up minutes after 4.0 earthquake hit off the coast of La Jolla

First, residents were jostled out of bed at 7.34 a.m. by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake that was centered 19 miles out in the ocean.

The quake was felt all over the county, which isn’t uncommon in San Diego -- but what happened just minutes later was a little fishy.

“We just got here about 15 minutes ago and Lilly, what did you see on the beach?” John Feher asked his little daughter.

“Squid, squid, squid, squid, squid.” she replied.

Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid, which were roughly three- to four-feet long and weighed close to 40 pounds, were found flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach.

“It’s like their equilibrium is all messed up and they don’t know what they’re doing and they can’t back out there,” said beachgoer Bill Baumann. “It was like they got -- I don’t know -- all shook up.”

It didn’t take long for the seagulls to swoop in and start feeding on the squid, so beachgoers ran to the rescue and tried frantically to save them by throwing them back in the water. That proved to be a difficult task for several reasons: they were extremely heavy, very slippery, and when the good Samaritans did manage to get them back them in water, the squid didn’t know which way to go and kept washing back up on shore.


The rest of the story here.

Walking For a Cause

Dear Friends & Family:

A life is lost to suicide every 16 minutes in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds and the second leading cause of death among college students. However, most Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem. The impact suicide has on the lives of family members, friends, co-workers and the community is devastating. The loss of human potential is enormous.

On October 17th, 2009, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its fourth, annual 5K Out of the Darkness Community Walk in San Diego, CA. We hope you will consider walking with us as we travel the beautiful paths at De Anza Cove in North Mission Bay to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.

A major goal of this event is to show support for the families and friends of the 32,000 Americans who die by suicide, and the 20 million people who suffer from depression, each year. Support of the community walks also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to see treatment.

On-line registration is now available at www.outofthedarkness.org. You may register individually or as part of a team. Please consider inviting your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to walk with you or to support your walk. If you are not able to join us, perhaps you would consider sponsoring a walker or making a donation to the San Diego walk. Check out my personal walker page here: http://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/mcdot.

Thank you ahead of time for your support in bringing suicide Out of the Darkness.


Sincerely,
Carlee

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Friday, July 10, 2009

7-11

Are you planning on going to every 7-11 in your area tomorrow to pick up as many free slurpee's as possible?! I KNOW I AM :)

July 11 is marketed as "7-11 Day" in the USA, during which participating 7-Eleven stores offer up to 1,000 customers a free 7.11-oz. Slurpee of their choice. In Australia this occurs on 7 November.

Pregnant Pools

I think I may stay out of the water in Egypt :)

Pregnant By Swimming?

The pool can be a dangerous place: Kids can get sunburned or slip on the wet deck. But can the pool get you pregnant?

Magdalena Kwiatkowska of Poland thinks you can. She is suing an Egyptian hotel because she claims her 13-year-old daughter became impregnated after swimming in its pool during their recent holiday. Ms.Kwiatkowska says that there must have been errant sperm floating around just waiting to implant themselves in an unsuspecting female taking a dip. She swears that her daughter did not meet any boys during their vacation, so the mysterious sperm in the pool had to be the culprit.


The rest of the silly story here.

SYTYCD

So I don't know how many fans of So You Think You Can Dance are out there, but I know that I AM ONE, so I figured I would put in my two sense :)

I think my favorite two guys were Phillip and Kupono. Unfortunately, the judges cut Phillip last night. They didn't think he was technical enough, which is true, but man was he entertaining to watch! I have to say it is sooo much more inspiring to see someone that is not technically trained to be able to go out and try dance after dance. I like a lot of the girls this season. I like Kayla (because she is an amazing dancer), Randi (who I think is just so cute) and Jeanine (who I think is sassy and great). I am glad that all three of them are still in it and I hope they all go far. It is excited to start individuals next week.

Who are your favorite dancers?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Good Search

My sister-in-law sent over this link - how cool (and how is it that I have never heard of it?!)!! If you use www.goodsearch.com when you search the internet, they will donate $0.01 per search to the charity of your choice. It is pretty cool. Check it out.

Skydiving

Ryan and I are planning on going SKYDIVING for our anniversary!! Next month it will be our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY :) YAY!! Read the write up that is on the Pacific Coast Skydiving Site!!

Before your jump, you will have a 15 minute class on how to help your instructor make your skydive the safest and most exciting skydive! After learning the basics of the tandem skydive, your instructor will help you into your harness and perform a safety check on the gear. Feel free to ask your instructor about safety checks.

Walking to the airplane comes next and it may be the most intimidating part. You are not quite sure what to expect as you climb into your seat in the airplane. When you hear the engine roar you feel a surge of energy and know you are ready.

At about 3000 feet (3 minutes after takeoff), you will start your scenic flight over the Ocean. You will see the San Diego Skyline, The Pacific, Mexico and the whole Southern Cal Coastline. Don’t forget to ask about your in-flight meal. It's free with every skydive.

At 5000 feet, your instructor may show you his altimeter and tell you this is the altitude he will be opening the parachute. Enthusiastic first timers may be able to pull the parachute themselves so be sure to ask if you are interested.

Finally, over two miles above the Ocean, your instructor will ask you to assist him in getting ready for the skydive. You will know it's time to go when the door opens and the wind comes whirling through the plane.

Right before you jump the camera will be pointing at you as you look back into the plane at your friends. READY,,, SET<<< GO!!!!!! Don’t forget to smile. 120 mph of freefall for over 40 seconds. You feel like you are flying as your video camera captures it all.

When your parachute opens, you will feel the wind stop and you will be peacefully floating down from 5000 feet. Your parachute ride lasts about 7 minutes. You can steer the parachute and ask your instructor questions about the jump. Remember to look around at all the beautiful scenery but don’t worry because your video will capture everything.

Landing back at the landing area will surprise you with the ease that people land their parachutes. When you watch, you will see them landing as if they were stepping off of their front porch.

When you are done, you can enjoy a refreshment and a sandwich at our Airport Restaurant.