Greetings From San Francisco!

I arrived in Oakland last night where I am staying with my friend Debbie- So good to be back in the Bay Area! I left 90+ degree Texas heat for a high in S.F. today of 51! It is just how S.F. is in my mind- Foggy, cold, and noisy. Deb's apartment is in a cute 1920's brick building complete with fire escape, old wood floors, crown molding, and lots of personality. She went to work this morning, and I am going to take the train into the city later today. Our other friend (and one of my college roommates) Elisse is coming in this evening from Folsom. No, she is not an inmate there. Do people in Texas even know what Folsom is? I guess if you listen to Johnny Cash you know. Anyway, it is a quaint city with a rather large state prison.

California Here I come...

Only 2 days until I (Jana) fly out to California for 2 weeks at our family cabin at Bass Lake! Unfortunately Kent won't be able to join me this year, which totally stinks. I will be flying to the Bay Area (that's San Francisco for you Texans) and staying with my good friend Debbie Obernesser for a couple of nights, connecting with my college roomie/friend Elisse, then hitching a ride with my dad to the lake. I have gone to Bass Lake every summer of my life, and I am not about to give it up just because I live 1,600 miles away!

Forks burgers, fireworks, mountains, taco salad, onion rings from Miller's Landing, Whoopee Cushions from the Corner Store, waterskiing and tubing, a comfy hammock to read on, family, friends ... I am so JAZZED!

For those of you unfamiliar with Bass Lake, it is a beautiful emerald green lake just a few miles outside of Yosemite National Park. And unlike Southern Texas lakes, this one is not brown and you can see underwater. And... no large reptiles (though my brother Jeff used to tell me that someone had released Piranhas into the lake as well as "fresh water sharks"- That's big brothers for you.)

Let Them Eat Cake

This week I finally completed my last Wilton Cake Decorating course. I have been making cakes and attending class every Saturday since February. I love cake as much as the next person, but I was ready for it all to be over. Plus, the cakes we have to make are often kinda dated and old person-ish (no offense Grandma).

So... Yesterday I made one for my friend Whitney's birthday party tonight. After dinner everyone is going line dancing or something like that, so I went for a cowboy theme. I think this is my favorite one so far. I personally love the snakes.

"That There Is An R.V."

Last weekend Kent and I (along with many other wonderful volunteers and church employees) took 70 jr. high and high school kids to San Antonio on the annual "Road Trip". Normally, the kiddos stay in hotels, but this is KENT! Whose travel philosophy is "Why stay in a nice hotel when you can stay in an RV at a KOA?"

I had to drive this tenament on wheels full of 7th grade girls round trip from Houston to San Antone- And through tiny one-way streets surrounding the Alamo. Which by the way does not have a basement.... Thankfully I avoided side-swiping this famous pile of rocks in which Davy Crockett met his end, and I didn't kill any animals or pedestrians. Woo-Hoo!

It's Getting Hot in H-Town

Georgie Boy loves to swim, but we are without a pool and nearby ocean for him to indulge. So we splurged and bought a $10 pool from Target. Even when full it is not deep enough for him to swim in, but he enjoyed a quick dip last week to cool off. Sophie on the other hand, is more cat-like in her general dislike of getting wet. She won't even walk on wet grass, so imagine her reaction from getting dipped in icy water on a hot day.

I still have scratch marks on my arms.

Chicks, Man!

On our way home from Austin, we stopped in Giddings to get gas. In the food mart/feed store, there were baby chicks, ducks, and geese for sale for $2.50. I wanted a goose, but Kent said no.

Hydrate Hope Benefit

Our friends Matt and Kent are co-creators of iamchange.org, a non profit organization they set up to address seven different world needs. Currently, they are focusing on the issue of unclean drinking water, specifically in Sierra Leone, Africa, via their water-related charity called Hydrate Hope. Money raised goes to repair broken wells, or to dig new ones so that residents don't have to drink deadly contaminated water. Kent and I went with a large group of friends to Austin for a charity event last Thursday night. The event was held down in the heart of Austin at a popular lounge called The Belmont. There was a large outdoor seating area which Hydrate Hope was able to take over, with a large photo gallery, "water-walk", a merchandise table, and a stage for the bands that came to play, one of which was Love and Theft from Nashville. There were several hundred people there, and the whole thing was awesome to be part of. Kent and I had fun talking to people that had enjoyed a few too many drinks, and who more than enthusiastic about the charity. It was a great venue, and everyone enjoyed the event. Hopefully, a lot of people's lives will be changed by the generous patrons of The Belmont.

Kayaking on Lake Woodlands

Last weekend Kent and I met up with our friends Heidi and Mikey for a little kayaking on Lake Woodlands, which is about 2 miles from our house. We rented kayaks for the day, and launched them at Northshore Park in some intense heat! The four of us paddled around the entire lake, stopped near the swanky neighborhood of East Shore for snack time, gawked at some nice houses, and saw a bunch of animals including deer, geese/ducks, blue heron, turtles, fish, and some sort of huge snake. Look at the picture of the snake and try to figure out how it was able to get where it is. We were baffled.