2011 photo-synthesis

Helloooo!! Did you miss me? I have certainly missed writing! My inner-perfectionist got the best of me and try as I did to write the perfect post, I was often unsatisfied with the outcome, became discouraged and failed to publish anything new these last few months (believe me! I have quite a few drafts saved on here to prove it!). But its time to delete those drafts, start anew, and keep you up-to-date - imperfections and all.

Sooooooo..... what better way to revamp my efforts than to get you all caught up with a photo recap of 2011 (a photo-synthesis). I was very impressed with Mrs. Lauren Miller's idea of overlooking the year in photos and Becky Launder's recap that I decided to steal it (while giving them due credit, of course).

And I know I'm a little bit late on this....well... a lotta bit late... but here it is:

Carlsbad Half Marathon - before the race at an hour at which no one should be awake!

L to R: Me and Hubs at Superbowl party (w/ his broken ankle); Squares Winners; Girls at Cherish's Bday Fundraiser

JANUARY rolled in in quite an unwelcome fashion. I've certainly tired out the statement that the end of 2010 was rough and I was rather fearful of the notion that time would move forward. But move it did, and I decided to pick myself up and consciously dedicate my energy to taking the Capricornial goat by the horns and accepting new challenges: I ran my first half marathon (the Carlsbad half) and decided to do a 3-week detox/cleanse, learning a great deal about fitness/nutrition.

FEBRUARY brought a Superbowl party at Kristin's - where I actually won two quarters of the squares game and a category/side bet!! However I was more impressed with my ability to resist all the delicious Superbowl food (Que Bueno and all!) as I was just then completing week 1 of my three-week cleanse. I was up $80-ish, down 12 pounds and had renewed energy through the month, which helped propel me through Bar studying and the exam. I celebrated completing the exam with a quiet dinner with the Hubs at Seaus (where I ironically wore the same hat and shirt that I wore the last time I finished the exam (totally unplanned and if I realized it I would've changed for fear of jinxing myself)). The next weekend Cherish celebrated her birthday by hosting a fundraiser to raise money for the Ethiopian adoption agency through which her sister adopted a beautiful young Ethiopian girl, Zayla.

L to R: John, Lea and I in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle; Kennedy and me in the ferris wheel; Siblings + Jenni at D&B

More fun in MARCH, which involved two fantastic trips, the first being to one of my all-time favorite places (and a post-bar treat): DISNEYLAND!!!! We rode all of the greatest rides - space mountain, small world, pirates and were fortunate enough to re-experience the phenomenon that is Captain Eo. Overall, I was able to express my inner disney dorkiness to my content and visit with some of our favorite people! March further brought Pavan's 17th birthday where my sister, brother and his girlfriend, Jenni, took a trip to the bay area and had fun at the Milpitas D&Bs!

L to R: Girls on the strip w/ storm troopers; Julian Buffalo Head; Girls heading out for a Vegas night!

APRIL included even more trips! I had the pleasure of relaxing with 6 other gorgeous Esquires in Vegas, and a visit to Julian with Cherish and her parents to enjoy some pie, a local show, and buffalo burgers (well... a garden burger for me)!
 

Top L to R: post-La Jolla Half; John's Bday present - we're getting a puppy!!; Visit with Mammaya and Athaya Bottom L to R: Trolley ride to downtown for John's Bday; John thinkin he's the funniest guy around and Ivie laughing; Shawndene, Ivie and me!

APRIL carried on. Ivie and I raced in the La Jolla Half Marathon. My second half was quite a challenge with that darn Torrey Pines Hill, but I somehow managed to improve my time by a bit from the last race! The run was the same day as John's birthday, and after we got home he opened my present to him - a dog bowl! He had been wanting a puppy for so long I just couldn't deny him the pleasure any longer. From this point the hunt was on for the newest member of our family! We later celebrated another year of John with beer and pizza at Basic then a fun night of games at Joltn Joes! At the end of April we visited my parents in Fresno. My Mom's brother and his wife were visiting from India. It's truly rare that members of our family ever come to visit US from India... it was a real treat. I hadn't seen them since 2005.... but there's just something about family... there's always this wonderful bond no matter how long its been since you've seen them and no matter what language you speak.

Top L to R: First day meeting Stella; Stella comfy on the bean bag; Laundry time!
Bottom L to R: First Anniversary refreshments; Becky at winetasting; Mutt Pack at winetasting

MAY brought us one of the best things we could ever ask for, best puppy that is! Stella Barksdale Nord became the furriest member of our family on May 2, 2011 at 2 1/2 months old and 7lbs. She was the cutest, hoppiest, lickiest, waggiest puppy I've ever seen! It took us a little while to become accustomed to puppy-parenthood. We certainly faced a few challenges, but accustomed we became and are certainly loving the experience. The month continued and so arrived our first anniversary! Yup we made it through the first year of marriage with nary a road bump. We celebrated by pretending to be tourists in Seaport Village and enjoying some cool refreshments and appetizers at Busters. Then we moved to Carmel Valley for some yummy Indian food. This was also the month I started my job as a contract attorney at Broadcom supporting the in-house counsel department at one of the most prominent leaders in the semiconductor industry. May ended with a wine-tasting trip to Temecula for Becky's birthday. We enjoyed some great wine... and I cannot forget to mention brie bread - my absolute favorite part about wine tasting (second to the company of course). Take a sourdough bread bowl, slice it in half, spread with garlic butter, pat with mounds of brie and bake to some seriously monumental perfection. I'm talkin SERIOUS perfection (I don't joke about food *serious face*). Mmmm.... is it May yet?

Top L to R: Swearing In Ceremony; Cherish cheering on Ivie with our banner at Rock n Roll Half; Ivie completing Rock n Roll Half;
Bottom L to R: Stella at Gull Lake; Me w/ my first limit at June Lake; Charity Poker Tourney

June Lake trip: Beautiful fire with marshmallows roasting at Gull Lake

JUNE is the month I officially became Saritha T. Nord, Esq.! My parents drove in for the ceremony where I took an oath, slaughtered a virgin, etc - quite a moment. A week later Cherish and I cheered Ivie on as she tackled the San Diego Rock n Roll Half! We made a sign for her to show our support upon which we included a little something special (secret) to show her how much we love her and are proud of her! Later in June I joined the Nord men on their annual June Lake trip. I fished for the first time and caught my first limit of 5 trout during that trip! The trip, however, was not complete without a campfire and some s'mores our last night there. John Nord made this happen for me while almost managing to burn down Gull Lake. Luckily the fire dissipated and the only things that were close to burning were the deliciously gooey marshmallows that we sandwiched between graham crackers and chocolate. June ended with a Charity Poker Tournament that Ivie and I hosted to raise funds for Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure! We impressed ourselves with how much we were able to raise for the foundation and with how many donations we received! The event was so successful that we'll be hosting it every year for an organization of our choosing! This year our tourney will be held on March 24, 2012 and will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. For more info and to attend please take a peek at our evite.

Top L to R: John and Ivie posing in Vegas; Heather, Stacy and Cherish; Akka at her bridal shower
Bottom L to R: Bachelorette banner; the Bachelorette; Team 60 Miles FOR Bust at fundraiser

No year is complete without a trip to Vegas, and while this was my second of the year it definitely did not lack in the fun department. We celebrated Cherish's friend Stacy's 30th birthday and had a blast! JULY also involved my sister's bridal shower AND bachelorette party. Her bridal shower took place in Fresno where we played tons of great games and the bachelorette party took place in the streets and bars of Hollywood! July concluded with a huge Summer Concert my 3Day team, Team 60 Miles FOR Bust, hosted to raise funds for our 3Day walk. It was truly a hit and yet again we put another significant dent in our fundraising goals.

L to R: Shawndene her sis and Leah atop the Hard Rock; Ladies at Hornblower brunch; Shawndene + birdcage

In AUGUST I ran my third half of the year earning the Triple Crown Medal! The end of August brought Shawndene's bachelorette party which included dinner at Rockin Baja Loster, a night upon the rooftop of the Hard Rock Hotel and a Harbor Brunch Cruise the next morning! Ah brunch.... my favorite way to indulge on the weekends.

Top: Akka's wedding/reception; Bottom: Orrin & Shawndene's wedding/reception

SEPTEMBER was a month of weddings! First was my sister's which was held at the Fresno Hindu Temple. The highlight of the ceremony was my sister singing "I want to grow old with you" (The Wedding Singer) as her vows. She's a phenomenal singer and the sweet gesture moved me and many others to blubbering balls of tears. Later in the month Orrin and Shawndene wed with an incredible charcoal and rose rustic-themed wedding. Shawndene put a lot of work into the details and her touches showed in the elegance that illuminated the entire night. The warmest congratulations to both of these amazing couples!

3Day Walk - Day 1
L to R: Team 60 Miles FOR Bust; supporting police officer; Ivie and Winita's tent decorations

3Day Walk - Day 2
L to R: Fun button that says "3Day? I thought I signed up for a 3-way!!!"; Team w/ walker stalkers; Ivie and Winita won the tent decorating competition!!!

3Day Walk - Day 3
L to R: Team just before closing ceremony; Jean and me celebrating at the end; closing ceremony

OCTOBER wasn't too hectic as much of it involved preparing and training for the 3Day walk. The Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure walk took place in San Diego from NOVEMBER 18-20. Our team 60 Miles FOR Bust was captained by the ever-inspiring Ivie Hanakawa and included Becky, Megan, Winita and myself. It was definitely a monumental event - incredibly moving, emotional, fun, tiring and amazing! Each day was filled with new people and events permanently etched into our memories. We slept in tents, sang along with the motivating policemen as they blasted their radios while riding their bikes next to us decked out in pink, took pictures with many of the incredible "walker-stalkers", took showers in mobile shower units, and we walked and walked and walked. It was definitely a trying experience, but also every bit as rewarding. I'm honored to have participated in this event. 

Top L to R: Ivie witih her bday dessert; Stella + stocking; Pavan + bros-in-law; Bottom - NYE celebration

DECEMBER is always a fabulous month. The Holiday spirit just reverberates from every molecule and puts me in a great mood all month long. The month kicked off with Ivie's birthday! We enjoyed yummy food and ridiculously huge margaritas at On the Border then watched the movie The Muppets! By far one of the best movies the Muppets have put out - none of us could stop laughing the entire time, not even the boys! (If you haven't seen it - you must! It comes out on blu-ray/dvd on March 20!) December closed with a wonderful holiday season. It was Stella's first christmas and I was able to spend a nice chunk of time with my family. Lastly our new years eve celebration ended the year on a really positive note with a teppanyaki dinner at Fuji and continued fun at Jeremy/Becky's home.

There you have it.... my year in a... well, some sort of truncated version (I would say nutshell, but this post was GIGANTE). I am hoping this means I will now blog more consistently. I have so many recipes and thoughts to post, I will do my best to keep them coming.

Here's to 2012 - a year for progress (let's hope).