back in action!

Well, well, well... that was quite the hiatus. To be honest, I didn't really think anyone would notice. Who's reading this silly thing anyway? Turns out-- some of you are! I got a few requests for an update... flattered. THEN a few more... I'm blushing. Peeps want to know more about the big, bad Bakke duo way out here in the wild west?? Alright, alright... twist my arm... here I go! :)

A whopping 5 months has passed since our last post, and we've been bu-sy! Not to worry, our trusty camera caught all the highlights. Hang on to your hats-- I spare no detail-- this is going to be a doosey...

June (I think?): we journeyed up the coast a bit to Point Reyes National Seashore with our fab friends, Nikki & Nate. Hiked a bit, picnic-ed on the cold + windy beach, stared in awe at the long and gorgeous shore, and straddled the San Andreas fault (the geographical plate that will one day shift & put San Fran in the ocean... cool, huh?) We had a blast with the NW pair-- we always do!

Funny old abandoned tug boat. Couldn't resist a photo op...

and Dan couldn't resist getting in the decrepit old thing.

July: my little bro got married! I'm thrilled to {finally} have a sister! I've waited oh-s0-patiently for 26 years to have another girly in the fam, and we couldn't be happier to have Debbie join the crew. She's wonderful-- the Brunn children really know how to choose mate ;) Happiest congrats to my bro, Sean, and his beautiful new wife... you guys are going to love being married and you're going to rock at it!

Another highlight of the trip was seeing our niece, Katie. 13 months in these pics-- we (mostly I) couldn't get enough...

This was also the first trip Dan made home in nearly a year! We had a blast spending some quality time with his fam and friends :)

August: visitors! yesss! Dan's bro-friend (get it?) Ben, and another good college pal Becky + their better halves, Liz & Steve, visited for a whole week! Wine country, Giant's game, SF sights were awesome, but the highlight was definitely the Outside Lands Music Festival. 3 days of rockin' concerts in Golden Gate park-- a huge venue with thousands of people... lucky for us, we live just a few blocks away :) Black Keys, Muse, GirlTalk, OK Go, Arcade Fire, John Fogerty, Phish... etc, etc... we were thoroughly entertained and pleasantly exhausted. It's been 2 months and I think I'm just finally recovered from our action-packed week ;) Well, Ben and Becky-- what say you...make it annual? Outside Lands 2012? Bakke's vote yes!

September: Labor Day weekend we went camping with our friends (and my carpool + work buddy), Lisa and Charlie. We were itching to spend a weekend away from the hustle & bustle of the city, so we found a nice little campsite on a serene little lake... we enjoyed every ping-ponging, card-playing, lake-lounging, s'more- roasting second with these two cool cats :)

Charlie and Lisa had to work on Monday, so Dan and I took our sweet time getting back to SF. We stayed in a cheap little hotel in Sonoma Valley on Sunday and wine tasted our way back home :) Guess what? We even became wine club members at our fave winery-- Passalacqua. Isn't that annoying and pretentious? We know. BUT the wine is goooood. Come visit and we'll take you there... you'll see. *Wine club member's guests taste for free, you know ;)

Remember our friends Nikki and Nate? Well, they got married! Also MN transplants, the wedding was in Stillwater, MN. Sadly, homeboy and I RSVP 'no' to the nuptials because I had to work and Dan had school... but I ended up finding a last minute switcheroo at work + decent airfare... so I decided to go! Thanks again, Nikki+Nate, for letting me tag in... I know that can be pretty dang annoying. BUT, the wedding was FAB and the bride looked gorgeous and the band was rockin', so I danced the night away sans my favorite dance partner of all :( Happiest congrats to the wonderful couple!!

Even though it was a quick last minute visit, the Brunn fam hit up the Renaissance festival (a semi-tradition for us) on Sunday! Without Dan or Debbie around, it was just the original 5 + baby Katie. Ahhh... nostagia.

October: girl's weekend in San Diego! There are 8 of us girly- friends from college that have all sort of dispersed around the country... and when Kat got married in Mexico last year, we all went. Since then we've played with the fantasy of an annual girl's weekend. This year: San Diego + Mexico, baby! Sadly, only 5 were able to make the trip (we missed you Lisa, Emily and Kate!)

We had. a. blast! We did some sight-seeing, shopping, and beach-bumming...

The weekend wouldn't have been complete without a girls-night-out or two ;)

Check out the red carpet... fancy, huh?

Most importantly, we just enjoyed our time together. Cheers until next year, friends!

Just a week ago, my friend Naomi came for a visit! One of my best friends from high school (one of a whole two that I still keep in touch with--- you were missed, Kelly!)... together we are double trouble... it was a whirlwind weekend! Tandem biking like 150miles in wine country is NO easy task! *ok, ok, more like 33miles--- but still! That's not easy! But you can't beat the scenery... or the wine buzz on a bike. Good thing we had helmets :)

Of course the rest of the weekend we also saw all the best sights San Fran has to offer...

Dan and I even took our special guest up to Muir Woods (redwood forest) & Mount Tam for a hike... if she thought she was coming for a restful weekend, she was WRONG. That girl got some major exercise. You're welcome, Nomi. :) I *loved having you here... Come back anytime-- and bring your man!

If you're thinking that Dan the Man seemed to miss out on a few of the shenanigans... you're right. Poor widdle Dan took classes all summer long :( BUT, we're looking at the bright side-- the more classes he takes now, the sooner he's done and free as a bird!

Now it's November and we're coming up on our 3rd anniversary already! This weekend we're heading south to Santa Barbara for some R & R. Here's a current pic... I bet you missed seeing these suckers:

So there you have it. Bakke Adventures-- Summer & Fall 2011 edition. :)

Thanks again for reading! If you want to hop on the 'Visit Dan & Amber' train-- please do!!

We'd love some more company :)

Rated 'R' for geriatric nudity

Since our last post, Dan had 3 whole weeks off of school before summer session started and we were ready to party like rockstars! Nevermind that we were immediately sidetracked and--in true rockstar spirit-- became totally content hanging out at home, ordering take-out, and watching Netflix...

Lucky for us, we were free as birds to enjoy Bay to Breakers-- the renowned annual 12k foot race in SF. (Runners start at the bay at the east side of the city and run all the way across SF to the breakers of the Pacific ocean at Ocean Beach.) I can't stress it enough... this is a major event in San Fran. More than a race--it's a giant parade of weirdo costumes or lack thereof, {legal} public drinking and general craziness! Thousands of people participate, but only about 40% are registered runners... some of whom dress up (or down) to rock the tradition. The other 60%... well... they're just in costume and running/walking/sauntering/stumbling for pure joy. We were not about to miss all the action... so we packed a picnic and people watched + snapped pics until our heart's content.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: this is not LA. Peeps around here are certainly proud of their bodies, but not because they're rock hard. The young, pretty, college-age crowd were all fully clothed... it's the 65+ age group that was lovin' the breeze in their nether-regions. The novelty of watching old-naked-marathoning hippies never wore off... and by the afternoon's end we were shamelessly gawking at all the hotties.

**Somehow through the wonderful family grapevine this story was terribly misconstrued... and after fielding a few concerned phone calls, I thought I should set the record straight... listen up: we absolutely did NOT spend the weekend in a nudist colony! Yes, we are still God-fearing Jesus-loving people, and we're not morphing into full-fledged hippies...yet. ;) Sheesh, it's not like we were the naked ones! What's wrong with a little eye candy? ;)

In other debauchery news: last week the City of San Francisco issued a warrant for Dan's arrest with a $390 bail contingency. Truth. I freaked out. He beamed with pride.

Turns out it was for a boring delinquent 'fix-it' ticket for his car and he now has a court date scheduled within a few weeks. But for a few glorious days Dan got to live his dream as an outlaw...

The next weekend we managed to travel down the coast a bit for a long weekend camping extravaganza in Santa Cruz-- a hoppin' not-so-little surfer town with gorgeous mountains & beaches. Plus there's a nifty beach boardwalk with fair food and rides :) One of the American Idol cast-offs (James Durbin?) was there performing, so the place was packed with adoring home-town fans and news crews. We're not American Idol fans and we tried to avoid that crazy crowd... sorry, no pic of the superstar :)

It was rushy rushy when we left home, and when we got to the campsite we realized we forgot our bag of food. We would have never forgotten our cooler full of beer though. Who needs to eat?

Sadly the next day was a bit overcast and rainy, so we spent the morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Truly impressive!

Now Dan's summer session started and I'm back to watching Netflix alone. *sigh. Can't wallow too long-- I'm homeward bound this weekend to throw a bridal shower for my sister-in-law to be... Looking forward to catching up with friends and fam!

8 great spring things.

Spring in the foggy city ain't so foggy these days... and we're loving every sun-drenched second :) In fact, California livin' is treating us so darn good, I'm obliged to spill some heavenly highlights:

1::: Dan finished spring semester! 3 blissful weeks until summer school starts... finally some long-awaited free time with my man-- it's a beautiful thing.

2::: I discovered the biggest, juiciest, most perfect strawberries yesterday at the little farmer's market down the road for a whopping 49cents a carton. cheap! I bought five (a bit excessive, I know), but how could I pass up a deal like that? Today I learned that less than $1 the going rate for strawberries in the summertime here in the wild west... my tastebuds are rejoicing and life is good.

3::: Off the Grid mobile food carts are rockin' the town. Trucks congregate in designated parks to sell a variety of tasty cuisine... order through the passenger side window and pick up your grub in the back... fuss-less, cheap, sustainable & delicious... it's pure genious and oh-so-fun! Our faves: beef + basil potstickers and the creme brulee :)

4::: Golden Gate Park is the perfect haven for all my nostalgic desires-- flower conservatories, rose gardens, Japanese tea gardes, lakes for rowing & paddling, beaches, music, hiking, biking... this place has it all. I've spent many a hour on my days off lounged on the lawn reading a book + working on my (read: struggling to get) tan.

5::: Finally bit the bullet and antied up to the DMV. Nearly 5 hours and $250 later, Janet my faithful Sunfire, and I are officially California girls.

6::: Dreaming and scheming plans for a rooftop garden... I aspire to grow a bright green thumb and create an oasis such as this:

and here's what I have so far:

ha. a sweet yellow rosebush + watering jug gifted to me by my encouraging husband who beams with pride at the thought of his wife growing things. (Truthfully, our landlord would never go for a full garden extravaganza --nor do I have the skill!-- so a girl's gotta start small... a few planters filled with fresh herbs and delightful flowers will do for now...)

7::: Our friend Kyle Drake stayed with us for a bit... he was in town for business + pleasure, and his company made our week much sweeter :)

8::: Lastly, I have exciting news on the job front: I was recently given the opportunity to train as a critical care transport nurse... which means when the need arises, I travel with a team via ambulance / helicopter / medical plane to get sick sick kiddos and bring them back to Stanford (where I work). It's not a change in my job exactly, I'm still a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), but when I am working and a transport needs to be done, I'm their gal :) I'm stoked about this new challenge and I'm loving the new skills & thrills!


So there you go... 8 great things happening in the Bakke home these days. Now we'd love to know what is putting the pep in your step this spring...?!

Hotel Bakke: 4 stars.

Well crap. Nearly TWO months since our last post... what can I say? Time gets away from me here in Bakkeland. If you're thinking that our lackluster blog life means things have been dull + uneventful for me & homeboy, well... you'd be wrong, my friend (ahem, Sean!)

In fact, our visitor-packed March was probably the most exciting (read: we survived and successfully recovered) in San Fran yet! Every night at the Bakke B&B was occupied from the first week of March thru the last... truth! Although it was busy and we spent the better part of a week catching our breath at the month's end, we loved playing tour guide for our friends and fam.

To kick things off, I spent the first March weekend in Milwaukee with my college girlfriends-- we got to shower one mama-to-be (due in the next couple weeks... ahh!) and I was finally able to meet the newest girly addition to our group:

Meet Evelyn {Evie}-- have you ever seen such big blue eyes? This girl is a looker... a real life doll :) *Thanks for opening your home to all of us, Scottbergs!

I got home Sunday eve, and Todd and Sheryl arrived Monday morning... we spent the beautiful day seeing the GG Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and more :) Dan and I took our maiden voyage to Alcatraz with the 'rents... it was fantastic {a must if you're ever in the bay area!} The rest of the week flew by-- both Dan and I worked a bit, so Todd and Sheryl bravely conquered SF municipal transport like champs :) They also treated themselves to a fan-cy camera for Christmas and broke it out for the San Fran sights, so I only snapped a few pics with my peon of a camera :

Sadly, Todd had to cut his vacay a little short to attend his aunt's funeral in Texas, and they were our tour-guide guinea pigs, so we'd be happy to have Ma & Pa Bakke back again any time to see what we missed this time around :)

Next came my dear friend Jenna. She is lucky enough to have 2 sets of amigos in San Fran, so she got to split her time both ways. With good ol' Amber, she got to see the GG bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and more! It was a little rainy, but we managed to spend some QT snuggled up watching movies and ordering pizza. Never ones to miss a chance to wear our dancing shoes, we *had to spend an evening on the town and discovered SF is home to a hoppin' Monday night life :) Again, here are just a couple snapshots (I had more, but they were lost in cyberspace):

Jenna tagged out Wednesday afternoon and the Brunn parents tagged in that night... just enough time for a quick grocery run and a kitchen sweep, and back to the airport we went! Had a fabulous week with my peeps, and despite some rainy weather, we still managed to see GG Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and more! Enjoyed some ice cream at Haight-Ashbury, loved the cityscape views from Coit tower, spotted the parrots on Telegraph Hill, perused Chinatown, and even savored a sushi dinner (a big hit and a new tradition for us, I think!). Also made a trip to Muir Woods {to see the giant Redwood trees} and up the coast to check out the headlands and Stinson Beach... these were a first for me (and definitely NOT the last... beautiful!), so I took some pics of my own this time:

Our dear friends Kate & Chris swooped in the next week, and Hotel Bakke was double booked for a day :) We picked up the Swansons and drove right up to wine country for a day of delicious wine tasting, spectacular views and good company!

The next day my parents took off, and I took Kate & Chris for a day of sight seeing. We saw the GG Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and more! Getting old yet? Try living it. (j/k- 'twas awesome to show off the fair city... and good exercise. My legs are ripped ;) We had a rockin' time with the Swanson duo! Explored the SF Giant's stadium, gazed at the famed Painted Ladies, hit up a happenin' brewpub in Haight Ashbury, saw GGpark, hiked the Marin Headlands and enjoyed some heavenly grub... most notably a sundae at Ghiradelli Square... yum. Spent some quality couch time together on a rainy day too! Must say thanks to Chris for taking the back seat to Kate + Amber time... you're a real trooper, my friend... I know you didn't love shopping with us, but who else was gonna hold all our fitting room rejects? ;)

If you're thinking that Dan the Man seems noticeably absent from this whirlwind month, that's because he was. Unfortunately he was swamped at work AND doing double duty for school... poor manly man was only able to take 2 half days off to spend with our guests. Thankfully things have slowed down a bit in the last week or so... it was just bad timing for the cats who hoped to see more of him :( Call the whaaa-mbulance, I played hostess by myself mostly, which means that while our visitors were missing my man, I was missing him too! Don't worry- we've since reconnected:

Wouldn't be a complete update without a kissing pic, right? ;)

All in all, it was a doozie of a March... action-packed and full of fun... one we will not soon forget! We *loved having all our visitors and the bustling month flew by! Not only was it wonderful to show off the splendid city, it was nice to share a bit of our lives with people we love, you know?

Now we've caught our breath, rested our feet, finished up our laundry (well, I didn't do it... heh) and we're ready for round #2! The guest bed is made... who's next?!