We had a good time visiting my family in Philadelphia over Christmas. We took it easy, did a little gift shopping, ate Tastykakes and meatball sandwiches (heh), went to the Franklin Institute, saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (Mayu wanted to do some sight-seeing), setup the Christmas tree, and opened presents! We went to New York for a few days, so only had a little over a week in Philly. Before we left though, we had a nice group dinner at Jen's restaurant.

Christmas 2006 - Philadelphia Photos

While Mayu and I were in New York, we partied with Keith and his friends, saw the United Nations and Grand Central, went to The Cloisters medieval museum, made a pilgrimage to B&H Photo, saw the Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center, went Salsa dancing with Keith & Sandy, and saw the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Egyptian, Arms & Armor, and Asian Art exhibits). So much to do in New York, so little time. Oh yeah, and we ate a ton of good pizza!

Christmas 2006 - New York Photos

Mayu and her sister Ellie came over the other night for dinner and to carve pumpkins. It was Ellie's first time, and she made a Mickey Mouse pumpkin! I made a mountain sunset over water, and Mayu made a desert night sky with stars and a moon. Afterward, we played around with a laser pointer, and drew pictures and words on the ceiling during long exposures.

Pumpkin Photos

I took Mayu to The Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur for a very special occasion. We were welcomed by name, and treated like kings and queens. We had full-body massages at the spa, enjoyed lunch overlooking the ocean, and then checked into our room, which was a luxury Tree House! We then enjoyed some complimentary wine and snacks in an "infinity" hot tub above the ocean before going out for a 5-course dinner.

Afterward, we walked around under a full moon, relaxed at the Tree House in our spa tub, got a fire going, and then I proposed! The next day, we had a yummy breakfast, took a nap, went swimming at the pool (where we had a picnic lunch delivered to us), visited the shop and fitness room, and hiked the trails around the ranch. We enjoyed the outdoor hot tub one last time before leaving. The service was impeccable. This is the place to go for special occasions!

Post Ranch Inn Photos

As soon as I returned from Burning Man, Jeff and Jen flew out for a visit. I didn't even have time to clean the playa dust off my car! We did a lot during the week they were here: rock climbing at Castle Rock, booth and bottle service at 1015 in San Francisco, drinks at an Irish pub in Campbell, and a trip down to Big Sur and Nepenthe, which is where these photos are from. Mayu's cousin also came along, and got wet!

Jeff & Jen Photos

Before I left for Burning Man, I wanted to spend some time with Mayu. I'm a big Cirque du Soleil fan, and also a Beatles fan, so seeing "Love" in Vegas seemed like the perfect trip. We stayed in a wonderful room at The Venetian, explored The Wynn, and spent some time at The Mirage before the show, which was a visual delight. It was not so much a circus act, but more a dramatic interpretation of the music. "All you need is Love, Love, Love..." And I didn't gamble a penny!

"Love" in Vegas Photos

We stayed with Cassy over night and had lunch the next morning at a cafe in North Beach. Mayu then wanted to go to the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, so we drove over there, but it was closed! So instead, we walked around the Japanese Garden. We finished the day with some shopping in Union Square. For an unplanned weekend, it turned out great!

Japanese Garden Photos

After the Marin County Fair, we took a winding drive up to a ridge on Mount Tamalpais. The sun was just starting to set, and the scenery was beautiful. The tall grass was rippling in the wind, and a golden hue was cast by the sun. And up there with us was this giant red monkey! It made for some interesting photo opportunities. I think I got a few good ones.

Mount Tam Photos

The next morning, we had brunch with Cassy and Jose in San Francisco, and then headed across the Golden Gate for the Marin County Fair. It was enormous! There were rides, food, music, dancing, art, crafts, movies, games, animals, and more! Mayu fell in love with all the animals, and I won her a Curious George stuffed animal. I think I threw about 30 darts to get it! Everyone pitched in at one point, and Cassy won a stuffed dog.

Marin County Fair Photos

We didn't have any plans for 4th of July weekend, so Mayu and I decided to be spontaneous and take a road trip. We drove up the coast along Highway 1. We stopped at a few places, and walked around Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz, a beach along the coast, and the Pigeon Point lighthouse in Pescadero. We then had dinner in San Mateo before getting a hotel in San Francisco for the evening and going out with Jose for drinks.

Pacific Coast Photos

I always loved dying Easter eggs when I was little. Mayu had never done it before, and never had an easter basket, so we decided to have an Easter party! A bunch of friends came over. We dyed and painted easter eggs, and held an egg hunt outdoors. To add a twist, the eggs we hid had some "adult" goodies inside. Everyone had a great time, and some of the eggs were works of art. It was a huge success!

Easter Party Photos

Since the weather was getting nicer, we decided to buy some furniture for the back deck. We found a simple wooden table with two folding chairs and an umbrella at Home Depot. It's a bit colorful, but I guess it fits the "Spring" theme. They're really easy to stow away, and break out again. Oh, and Peeps like them too!

Table & Chairs Photos

I put my technical skills to the test by performing surgery on Mayu's phone. She got a new Motorola RAZR, but wanted it in white. So we meticulously took it apart, swapped out the plastic with some new plastic pieces she had ordered, and put everything back together. I felt like I was playing that childhood game called "Operation." When we turned it on, it worked!

Phone Surgery Photos

To celebrate our one-year anniversary, I gave Mayu some golden earrings that matched her necklace, and took her out to La Fondue in Saratoga. It's a really extravagant restaurant. We had four courses: gigantic salads, veggies and breads in cheese, meat and shrimp with dipping sauces, and all sorts of candy and fruit in chocolate! I had my D200 and a mini-tripod with me, so I got some good photos of the natural light.

Anniversary at La Fondue Photos

For Mayuko's 25th birthday, a bunch of us went out to a Thai place in San Francisco called Osha. This was their Mission location, not the one we've gone to before downtown. The food was good! Afterward, we went Salsa dancing at Cocomo's. I experimented with some slow shutter speeds and various flash settings. I think there were some interesting photos, but I need to work on that technique a bit more.

Mayu's Birthday Photos

Mayumi and Makiko, Mayu's childhood friends from Japan, came out to visit her for a few days. Together, they're known as the "3M's" or "MMM." I went out with them one day, and we had a fun time seeing the sights in San Francisco. We hung out down by Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Lombard Street. I think we took some good photos, too!

MMM Photos

One day we were hanging out at Mayu's house, when a hummingbird suddenly appeared outside the window. We both grabbed our cameras and tried to get some shots of it. I think I fired off 200 photos just to get the few shots that show its wings open. They're not the best photos. I don't have a long lens, and the bird was backlit. I think it's time to get a new lens though!

Hummingbird Photos

When the conditions are right, my house, which is at a higher elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, will get some snow during a winter storm. It started coming down one day when Mayu was over, and she went outside to catch snowflakes on her tongue. The flakes were gigantic, and she caught quite a few of them! Of course, then everything melted and she got wet.

Snow in Santa Cruz Photos

It's been a stormy winter with lots of rain. During one of the storms, a phenomenal amount of hail came pouring out of the sky. It almost looked like snow, and covered all the open areas on the ground with a blanket of white. But when you looked at it up close, they were giant rocks of ice.

Hail Photos

We took a trip to Seattle to visit Tomomi, who had flown in to visit Phillip for a week. The weather was amazingly nice and sunny! We walked around the pier, saw the Space Needle, re-lived our college days at a house party with a basement band, and took a ferry to the Olympic Peninsula, where we spent some time hiking on the beach and enjoying the natural scenery.

Seattle Photos

Now that my Jeep was fixed, I wanted it clean! So I picked up some supplies to wash and detail my car. Mayu brought her Nissan over, and we spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning our vehicles. She managed to get hers finished before daylight ran out, but it took me all night to apply and remove three layers of wax with an electric hand buffer. I even cleaned the inside of the engine compartment! It came out nice, but my paint job has been damaged over the years, so it's not perfect.

Car Washing Photos

My Dad would be proud. I never really spent much time working on cars before. I was always playing around with computers instead. But my Jeep is getting old with 150,000 miles on it. I had a few small problems, and didn't want to take the car to the dealer. It had been idling rough and stalling, so after some reading in the service manual and online, I replaced the idle air control motor. I also replaced a dead speaker and put in some new wiper blades. Woo hoo! It all worked!

Fixing My Jeep Photos

The weather was nice one day, so Mayu and I went out for a drive in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We stopped for some wine tasting at Byington Winery on Bear Creek Road. There were flowers blooming outside, so we spent some time taking close-up shots with my macro lens. Inside, they had a carnivorous plant that was eating fruit flies!

Wine Tasting & Flowers Photos

Shin flew in from Japan to visit Tomomi for a few days, and we all went out and had Korean BBQ for dinner. Afterward, we went to Shisha in San Jose to smoke a hookah, and took a couple of photos. I was experimenting with a new wide-angle lens I had purchased. There's also a shot in there of the house that Tomomi and Mayu used to live in on Julian Street.

Shisha Photos

Mayu and I visisted my parents in Philadelphia for Christmas. My Nikon D200 was waiting for me when I arrived! We baked cookies, watched movies, opened gifts, ate cheesesteaks, found a cool hookah lounge, ate pizza at the Jersey shore, and gambled at the Borgata. Afterward, Mayu and I went to New York. It was her first time, and we had a blast! We walked around Times Square, went to the Public Library, took a water taxi to see the Statue of Liberty, ate lots of yummy pizza, watched Alvin Ailey ballet, laughed with Dave Attel, shopped in SoHo, and went out with Keith for drinks and hot dogs!

Christmas 2005 Photos

I wanted to give Mayu something special for Christmas. I knew she liked dancing, and wanted her own studio. So I decided to build one! I secretly measured her living room dimensions, and sized the dance floor so it would fit just right. I bought some bamboo flooring, and laid it down on a mat within a frame that I built. I also purchased two large mirrors. When I assembled it at her apartment, I kept her in her room behind a make-shift alarm of hangers. When she saw it, she loved it!

Dance Floor Photos