weekend in CA

Family picture - Me, Mum, Sheils + Brizzie.

So i tried to sneak back home for the weekend to visit with my family and the resident mongrels (aka our cat tuvi and the dog brizzie)... but i have learned that it is impossible to do since, well, silicon valley is a small town and i know a few people. :)

Even though my trip was last minute, I had a pretty full weekend:

Friday:
Facial with my esthetician, Fawn @ SkinSpirit. They always find a way to fit me in - which given my last minute scheduling is very very cool. Lunch at Tamarine with Inna, my financial advisor. She's awesome. Picked up conditioner, walked the doggie, and then met the girls (Dulcy, Alexia, and Pat) for drinks at my bar (aka La Bodeguita). It was a fabulous night. I had my first drink in 3 months (i gave up alchohol for my diet) -- an O Cosmo -- and it was not only delicious but i was buzzed after three sips. We also saw Lisa, she just had her 30th B-day (Happy B-day Lisa) Also ran into an ex-boyfriend (just because i moved doesn't mean he can start frequenting my bar!)

Saturday:
Woke up and went for a run with the pup. Stopped by JB's mum's tag sale - so many fun things, including a copy of MicroSerfs - which I bought for $1. Then I went to Noe Valley, to hang with my friend Amy (we went to college together) and her two lovely kids and husband Ben. Ben's considering spending more time at this incredible start-up that does Fantasy Sports. It's perfect for him :) he's running statistical models on who the #1 NBA draft pick should be (sorry i can't say!) -- very interesting stuff. Then I met up with my sister, we got manicure-pedicure's at my favorite salon in menlo park - Natalie's. I think they have a great deal - an excellent mani/pedi + a neck massage (10 min) = $55. My manicure lasts a week - which you just can't get from the average corner shop. Now starving, sheila and I went to dinner (good mexican YEAH, but i ate too much) then back to mum's to hang out. JB came over for a bit and it was fun to chat with mum, sheils and Jeeves. Just like old times with JB and mum ganging up on me.

Sunday:
Slept in -- woohoo. Brunch @ st michael's alley with Mum and sheila. Shopped at restoration hardware w/mum. Tried out sheila's B&B therapy #4 on my hair -- it is hydrating and works quite well. Then over to Dulcy's BBQ, then a quick drink @ Gordon Biersch with BK, Nico and Chris Bates - bates' band is going on tour this summer / fall - very exciting. JB stopped in for a final goodbye, and then i headed out to meet my Dad. We hung out till 11, lost his car, found his car and eventually got home in one piece.

Monday:
Overslept and missed my 6 am flight which landed me in Alaska Airlines HELL. I guess they cut the pilot's pay by 25% and they are retaliating with "turtle service" -- basically everything is delayed because they find "mechanical errors" that could cause a flight to be unsafe. Net-Net I spent 8 hours in the San Jose airport before i *boarded* my flight home to SeaTac. Not cool. Avoid alaska until they figure this one out.

Outside of learning that I can't sneak back home, I did pick up a few tid-bits on the technology front. TechTalk is probably the #1 thing I miss since I moved to Seattle -- back in the Bay Area everyone talks tech ALL the time. Yes, it can be annoying, but as a native, that's my language. Below are some of the things i noted:
- Yahoo! is everywhere. i think i saw 3 SBC Yahoo vans -- more prevelent than the here, there, everywhere Channel 7 news vans (a locals only reference). Rumour has it that Yahoo! 360 will see some major revamps, and there was lots of talk about Yahoo moving people to LA.
- Even so, people are still ga-ga for google.
- The buzz is around the economy picking up, apple switching chips (and when will the ipod bubble burst? maybe never...but what if Steve dies??) and everyone finding a new start-up.
- Entrpreneurs are running wild and there's an energy in the air that had been dead for a while.

All in all, my weekend back in california was as it should be: wonderful, relaxing and fun. I did miss rainy, peaceful seattle, but it was also nice to be home, enjoy the sunshine and spend time with everyone.

OH! and for those of you I missed (and there are many - BPD, Minnie, Sara, Amit, Elise etc.) I will be back in town in August. I'll be back for SES- coming in a few days early then, after the conference, heading up to Tahoe for a family reunion. I plan to see all of you then -- so put a placeholder on your calendars. On another note, I'll be in New Orleans for the Web Master World conference -- if you plan to be there let me know.