Brian and Jay
Posted on May 17, 2014 by Ching under Games, Life.
Here are some pictures of Brian and Jay from last Saturday. Our friends Jay, Becca, Aaron, and Reby came over for dinner. Aaron and Reby called it an early night. These photos were taken after they left.
These two are so hilarious when they’re drinking. I captured some video but I’m not allowed to post them online. Party poopers!
We rarely get to see Jay and Becca anymore now that they’ve moved to the West side of town. Traitors! Just kidding. We were so happy to finally have the chance to hang out.
Originally it was just going to Aaron and Reby and Brian and me for dinner on Saturday night. However, Jay and Becca were available that night and they were picking up some money that Donna had left for Jay for the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System
Jay and I played checkers that night. I think it’s our first time playing checkers against each other. He had to explain it to me. Filipino checkers, or at least the way I remember playing, is slightly different. I took advantage of the fact that he was already two bottles of wine in. I had a little bit to drink but I wasn’t as far gone as he and Brian were. LOL. After a lengthy match (Becca actually fell asleep while waiting for the game to be over), I won. Oh, yeah!
He didn’t think I would blog about it. He didn’t think I would win either. He doesn’t think that it should count because he had a lot of wine. I don’t think he was as drunk as he said, though. Jay’s capacity to consume alcohol and be perfectly fine is beyond that of anyone I know. Brian had about the same amount to drink and he was being his loud, jolly, drunk self. Jay was far more composed. Although, he thinks he lost at checkers because of all the drinks. We must have a rematch when he’s sober just to see if I can really beat him. Then there will be no excuses.
This just goes to show… Don’t drink and drive. If drinking can diminish your aptitude for checkers then you really shouldn’t be driving. Just sayin’.
P.S. Becca drove home that night and they both safely made it all the way back to the West side of town.
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San Diego Streets
Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ching under Travel.
These trees are amazing and they’re all over San Diego. Does anyone know what these trees are? They are just begging to be climbed. I wanted to so badly. I didn’t though.
Pedicabs are also all over San Diego. We actually got to ride one.
Our pedicab driver was actually really nice. This isn’t a great photo. I wish I could have gotten a better shot.
We took the pedicab to the Gaslamp Quarter but quickly realized that we didn’t really have to because the area is conveniently located almost across the street from the San Diego Convention Center. It seemed farther away when we were in Seaport Village, though. The walk back to the hotel from Gaslamp Quarter was pretty short. We just had to cross a few streets and the railroad tracks. No pedicabs needed for the trip back.
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Candelas on the Bay
Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
When in San Diego be sure to take the ferry across the bay to Coronado. There’s a great restaurant there called Candelas on the Bay. There’s an excellent view of San Diego across the bay whether you are dining inside or sitting outside on the patio.
Here are some pictures of food for your enjoyment.
This next one should be no surprise. Everyone knows that I always order crab cakes if they’re available on the menu. LOL.
I really liked Candelas. I’m so glad that Divina and Mike recommended it. The food was pretty good and the view of San Diego is excellent. I could sit out on their patio for hours and just watch the bay while enjoying the beautiful San Diego weather.
I’m adding Candelas on the Bay to the list of places that I’m going to take Brian to when I take him to San Diego next year. I’m thinking I might take him for either Valentine’s Day or his birthday. I haven’t decided yet. He has expressed interest in going and I can’t wait to show him around. Just added one more item to the to-do list. Oowa! Oowa!
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San Diego Seafood
Posted on May 10, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.
My friends Divina and Mike made reservations at the Oceanaire in Gaslamp District on Tuesday night. I remember the Oceanaire when Brian and I were in Orlando last year. The concierge recommended it but we never found the time to go over there. I’m so glad I finally got to try it. Divina says that the restaurant serves the best seafood in San Diego. Not being from around there, I wouldn’t really know. However, I will tell you that the foods I tried were beyond delicious. They were leaps and bounds better than any seafood I’d ever had in Wichita.
Here are some pictures of our dinner.
I got crab cakes because that is the yardstick that I typically use to compare restaurants. If a restaurant serves crab cakes, that is more than likely what I’ll order. I have to say, the crab cakes I had at Oceanaire that night were phenomenal.
Divina got the seafood mixed grill, which offers a little bit of everything. I highly recommend this entrée if you still want your beef with your seafood.
Mike got a red snapper. Not just any red snapper, though. It was a whole one. Fried. And it was bigger than his head. It looked amazing and I bet it tasted just as good.
The three of us shared a creme brulee for dessert. I didn’t get a picture of it though because it was annihilated as soon as it was delivered to the table. Brian would have liked it. It’s a lot like the creme brulee served at Bonefish.
I really liked Oceanaire a lot so I recommended it to my boss for our final dinner in San Diego. She wanted to have some good seafood. Supposedly, the Oceanaire is as good as it gets in San Diego. Oh, and I had read on FourSquare that if you tell them it’s your birthday when you make your reservation they print your name on the menu. My curiosity got the best of me and so I wanted to put this to the test. Ginger didn’t want it to be her birthday so it ended up being mine. LOL.
They did not disappoint! Here’s a closer look.
I asked if I could take my menu with me but they actually gave me a rolled up one that was tied with ribbon. It made me wish that we had an Oceanaire here in town. I’d totally go there every year for my birthday. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. LOL.
If your server asks if you’d ever dined at the Oceanaire before always say no because first-timers get a treat from the chef. Our treat was pan-seared salmon belly. It was delicious! I wish it was on the menu because that’s what I would have ordered.
Here are some pictures of our dinner entrées.
I think Ginger had halibut. I had rockfish topped with the sweetest, freshest, most delicious chunks of crab meat I’d ever tasted.
Mashed potatoes.
Giant asparagus. That’s not really what they’re called on the menu, but these stems were gigantic. I’d never seen asparagus this large before.
The baked Alaska was a birthday perk that I didn’t read about ahead of time. That was an awesome surprise! (Mike really messed up, Divina! In addition to getting your name printed on the menu, you could have gotten free dessert too. LOL.)
This dessert could feed four people easy. The two of us couldn’t finish it.
Another tip is to go during happy hour if you are a fan of oysters.
I feel so lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to dine at the Oceanaire not once but twice on this San Diego trip. The Oceanaire is so good that I can’t wait to take Brian to their Orlando location when we are there for the 2014 Zumba Instructor Convention in August.
Now we both have something to look forward to!
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San Diego City Views
Posted on May 9, 2014 by Ching under Travel.
I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego for the ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference this week. It was my first time in the city so I did what any first-timer would do. I took pictures of all the city views that I could.
We stayed at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina because of its proximity to the San Diego Convention Center where the conference was held. The hotel’s location gave us perfect access to Seaport Village, Gaslamp District, and also Coronado across the bay which was accessible by ferry right behind the convention center.
Here are some pictures from my room at the Marriott Marquis & Marina.
This is a view from the elevator lobby on our floor.
I suppose a view of the harbor would have been better but my room was clean and comfortable. I had no complaints. I also left my curtains open the entire time and enjoyed looking at the brightly-lit city at night.
A view of the Marriott’s gorgeous swimming pool area would have been nice too. I read on FourSquare that the pool is kept at a delightfully warm temperature year-round. Unfortunately, I didn’t pack a swimsuit so I didn’t get to test this tip for myself.
This is the view from the west terrace of the convention center. I loved seeing all the boats in the dock.
Balboa Park at night.
San Diego at night from the Coronado ferry landing.
Here’s what it looks like during the day.
Here’s a panoramic view of the San Diego skyline.
San Diego is such a beautiful city. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to go. If things go well maybe I can take Brian there next year so I can share the experience with him. He wants to check out their zoo and other attractions. There’s much to see and do and I didn’t really get to see as much as I wanted since we were there for the conference. I’m eager to return solely for the purpose of vacationing next time.
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