Sometimes memories come through apps on my phone of small moments in my life that remind me just how much things have really changed. The app, On this Day, sent me three photos from 9 years ago that really captured a time in my life right before a very important job became part of my life. I was delighted at the reminder and all the fun in the photos.
Continue reading “Lunch in the Trolley Car – Throw Back Thursday”
Three years ago, Matt and I discovered what has since become an annual tradition, The Pleasanton St. Patrick’s Day Beer Crawl. For several hours the town has many shops that serve beer tastings and participants go from one to another to enjoy the beer, have snacks and fun along the way. The first year we learned some people really dress up for it, so I had green extensions to put in my hair and a special shirt which read Team Perri Lifetime Member. The shirt was all the more appropriate as I had learned I was expecting since it arrived.
Continue reading “2017 Pleasanton St. Patrick’s Day Beer Crawl – Throw Back Thursday”
A little under a year ago, I had my first OB appointment. To make the appointment, I called the OB department at a few nearby cities from a list of those Matt’s insurance, which I’d been added to just a few months previously, would cover. I took the second appointment offered to me as it was at a time when I could get off work, and so by pure coincidence I found Dr. G who happened to have a special interest in high risk pregnancies including those of women of advanced medical age like myself. I didn’t know what to expect from the appointment, but I was thrilled to be going and that the time was one that Matt could join me at as well.
Continue reading “Our First OB Appointment – Throw Back Thursday”
Last year on February 5th, I had one of the best days of my life. It started simply, as a Sunday I went to church, and stopped by the dollar store for some books. I’ve found some amazing new authors from the store. My period had been late, as it had in December, but this time I had a strong hunch I was pregnant. So I bought a few pregnancy tests along with my books.
Continue reading “The Day We Found Out – Throw Back Thursday “
A year ago I had more free time, and was not pumping or breastfeeding every three hours, so I was able to volunteer with and at my church. An On This Day App reminded me that a little over a year ago I was volunteering with to help with the shower service, Dignity on Wheels, which was at our church several days a week. The program is a mobile shower and laundry provider that allows members of the homeless population to take a hot shower with provided materials and to do a small load of laundry. I was proud to wear my feminist shirt, referencing Senator Elizabeth Warren and pink shoes to make a statement.
Continue reading “Volunteering with Dignity on Wheels – Throw Back Thursday “
Two years ago Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday, and Matt and I went out to celebrate at a location that was to be a surprise for me. This was somewhat of a tradition for us, with Matt picking our anniversary and Valentine’s Day locations and surprising me with them on the day of. I put on my heart shaped glasses and was excited to find out where we were going.
It turns out our destination was Sociale, an upscale restaurant in San Francisco that Matt’s family had once owned a part of. I was thrilled to be going as I’d heard so much about it before our visit.
This was the view from outside the charming restaurant.
Inside the decor was simple and elegant. The pink candles were a beautiful centerpiece on the tables.
Sociale had a special tasting menu. We made sure to order all different items so we could try many things that had to offer. Both the taste and the presentation was exquisite.
Afterwards Matt wanted to try one more place, though he wasn’t certain if they were open. He made a call and soon we were off to our second surprise destination, The Tonga Room in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
At first we were told that it was pretty much standing room only. We put our names on a table list just in case, and somehow they came to get us in less than 20 minutes to tell us a table had been found for us.
Inside the decor is one big Tiki Lounge. They have artificial rain come down randomly. In the center, a little boat comes out with musicians who entertain the crowd.
We tried several drinks including Mai Tais, Hurricanes and more.
We would have loved to have stayed even later than we did, but we both had to work the next day. So we took one last photo in the hotel lobby.
I really love that even though we had to work the next day, we had a great and long evening. With us now getting up earlier for work then we did then and having William, we probably wouldn’t do such a long date night if the next day was a work day. Still, in 2019 Valentine’s Day is a Friday, so perhaps we will do a long date that night as well.
~ Danielle
Three years ago Matt and I saw Wrestlemania in San Jose. We had attended the Monday Night RAW the following night and they had announced another RAW show in August. When it was finally our time to get seats after waiting in the long line, I joked we’d be in the last row. Matt was more optimistic, in fact he was pretty confident Roman Reigns would enter right near our section. It turns out he was right.
We had an amazing time at the show. The lineup featured a tribute to Rowdy Roddy Piper who had just passed on, and some other fantastic moments including having Seth trash talk his rival and the whole audience using their cell phones to be the “firefly” effect for the Wyatt Family’s promo that I put in a collage.
Matt and I had proudly wore our Suplex City San Jose Shirts to that first RAW. Unfortunately, that was the shirt of Roman Reign’s main rival. While we both cheered on many wrestlers, Roman was the only one Matt mentioned in our wedding vows, that he would cheer on Roman with me.
So as a major fan, when we went to RAW another time, I made sure to wear Roman’s shirt and stickers on my face, in case he came down our section a second time, which he did.
Our friends were amazed we were two for two with this. Matt had even joked he should buy a Powerball Ticket, but neither of us has.
On Monday RAW will again come to the SAP Center. With a new job for me that I can’t leave early from and William, there is no way for us to attend. Still, I look forward to bringing him to wrestling events in a few years when he can appreciate them.
~ Danielle
Last year on January 21st, I participated in the Women’s March in San Jose. It was a historic day for myself and many women, men, and children of all ages as we participated to show our feelings and responses to the results of the Presidential election. I was honored to be one of the Peace Ambassadors chosen, along with my friend, Mei-Hsia, to help with crowd control so that the event would be an orderly one. That day I wore a pink cat hat as did many women and a Giving Key with Faith on it.
Every so often my Facebook program On This Day reminds me of a time I hadn’t thought about in many years. This was the case when the memory for the time Colleen and I went to The Retro Dome for the Rocky Horror Picture Show Experience. This was the second time I’d seen Rocky Horror, the first had been in a theater as a teenager in a rite of passage as most people my age had gone. This time, I knew a bit more what it would be like, so I decided to dress up in costume as one of the characters, Magenta.
I was so excited to be going that in my naivete I posted a picture of our tickets, complete with a scannable bar code on Facebook. Luckily, no one used them to get in before us.
Colleen and I had a lot of fun with the show. There are a lot of songs that the actors on film, the actors on stage and the audience sing. For this reason this show, as many at the Retro Dome were, was a sing along for everyone. After the show the actors graciously allowed people to take photos with them. The first one I found was of course the actress playing Magenta. As I had an authentic costume (at least according to the package) I was surprised that mine was so much shinier and with a shorter apron. I also didn’t have the option of the maid hat.
Everyone wanted to have their photo taken with the actors, so I really appreciated the actor playing Rif Raff sticking around to let me take a photo with him as well. I’m amazed that I don’t have a single photo of Colleen from this event. She didn’t have a costume on, yet it would be fun to have a photo of what she wore.
Colleen and I would went to several other events at The Retro Dome including the last event when we heard it was closing down. It was a great place to have a fun and inexpensive night out. I will have to go to a Rocky Horror event again at some point, and perhaps also go some day with Matt and William when he is old enough to stay up and appreciate it.
~ Danielle
New Year’s Eve 2015 was a night of many firsts for Matt and I. We had decided many months before that to have an amazing NYE, the best way was to find an amazing party and stay there all night. After much consideration Matt, Candy and I decided to spend the evening at The Fairmont in San Jose.
Over 40 First Time Mom 