Ugh, I'm still full.

We do one thing, and we do it exceptionally well. We are often imitated, but never duplicated.


On Saturday Dique and I took our good friends out to dinner. There was much to celebrate so between home-purchases, birthdays and our wedding we thought a big night out was the way to go.

Enter: The House Of Prime Rib.

The four of us are all eaters/foodies. We used to all live together and would cook together as often as we could. Us girls had never been there, and the guys were only too happy to show us the way.

We got there early enough to grab a drink at the bar - and by "drink" I mean my "own personal double martini shaker" - and they're not stingy with the olives either which is bonus points in my book! The guys got Manhattans and my girlfriend went for an Old Fashioned. It's just not the kind of place where you want to order a Lemon Drop, you know?




Soon after we were making our way to a back corner booth, loving the decor and the vibe all the way.

The deal at the HoPR (affectionately nicknamed "The Hopper") is that you choose your cut (thin, thick, massive, insanely massive), and then you have two decisions to make:

1. creamed corn or creamed spinach (spinach!)
2. baked potato with sour cream, chives and bacon or mashed potatoes and gravy (we tied on this)

It all comes with warm sourdough bread and butter, and Yorkshire pudding, because at this point, what's a few more hundred grams of fat?

Do they serve things other than prime rib? Yes, dessert. I had the trifle and it was a close second to the ones my mom used to make. Our friend had the creme brulle and it was the size of my face (read: big). Dique had three cakes in one - cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and chocolate cake - and I will be forever jealous of his hollow leg and speedy metabolism.

Okay, fine, they also serve a non-prime-rib-entree: they have two seasonal and fresh fish dishes on the menu for the flexitarians in your party. But the fish doesn't have its own cart, which makes it WAY LESS fun to order. Just sayin'.



The four of us decided to make it an annual event to celebrate all of our birthdays which span a few months, and while the body-conscious girl in me has been running every day since, my gluttonous side is waiting for next year with bated breath.

I love it when we're cruisin' together.

Holland America cruiseship The Ryndam at night in Topolobampo, Mexico.

Dique's parents (J & B) are fans of cruises, and after our honeymoon and our (literal) maiden voyage - I can see why.

Picture this: there's a really nice hotel docked in the beautiful bright blue bay of San Diego. You check-in to the hotel, unpack your things, crack open a bottle of champagne and sit on your deck. At sunset, the hotel leaves the bay and sets sail along the Western Coast of Mexico. Each night you see the sun set out over the Pacific Ocean and each morning a friendly gentleman brings you a huge tray filled with breakfast goodies.

Sometimes you see dolphins. Sometimes you see whales. Every day tops out at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit - not too hot, but hot enough to render a margarita acceptable at any time of the day.

During the day the hotel's pools, restaurants (and by "restaurants" I mean "dessert buffets"), casinos and movie theaters are open to you... and everything (except the aforementioned margarita and it's alcohol-based relatives) is pre-paid.

The hotel stops at a few ports where you can walk around a small (or large) Mexican city, go on adventures or just sit by the water, eat tacos and drink cervezas. The hotel eventually brings you back to the bay of San Diego and you return to normal life: rested, relaxed and rounder (thanks to ginormous breakfast trays, margaritas and other endless amounts of food).

J&B found a 10-day cruise on Holland America out of San Diego on Monday, the 23rd, and it was the PERFECT thing for us. We stayed at the Fairmont on our wedding night, then flew to San Diego on Sunday evening, after a lazy breakfast at the hotel, and an even lazier afternoon at SFO drinking Saucy Shirley Temples, waiting for our delayed flight.

The cruise spent the first two days at sea, then we hit Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Topolobampo, Loreto, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. And then we had another day at sea before landing back in San Diego on Thursday the 5th of March.

We met really nice people on the boat - nice people who kept asking us why we were on that boat because it seemed to be geared towards an older crowd. Our answer remained the same: we all moved at the same pace.

Sleeping? Good.

Eating? Good.

Drinking? Excellent.

In Puerto Vallarta we did a 6-hour "Outdoor Challenge" where we rode a high-speed raft down the coast to the south end of the city, got on what seemed to be a military troop transporter vehicle (like a jeep that could fit 15 people), and then rode mules to the top of the jungle hills before we zip-lined down. All in all, we went on about six or seven zip-lines that day. One was directly into the river (as in, you break by landing directly into the water) and one was really high-up over the jungle valley. We also repelled down a waterfall, then did a free-fall repel off a platform. We crossed some suspension bridges, and basically had a fantastic time. On the raft-thing back to the ship I spotted a whale behind us which was amazing (and only slightly terrifying since I have a bit of a random fear of whales, which is altogether a different blog).

The next day is Mazatlan we went zip-lining again, though this time we were inland where it was very hot and very dry. The course went around and over agave plantations - and you can bet we did some tequila tasting afterwards.

The next day, in Topolobampo, we went on a "Romantic Sunset Cruise" to celebrate our whopping Week 1 of being married. Dique will tell you we were on a small boat at sunset, but it was not a "Romantic Sunset Cruise" by any means. It was more of a nature/wildlife tour of the bay - but maybe that's because neither of us find pelicans and plastic red cups filled with gnarly margaritas romantic. We did see a lot of dolphins and birds and were all too happy to come back to the ship and have a table for two waiting for us in the dining room.

We took pictures up until the "Sunset Cruise" when we killed my camera's battery - which was really okay since our M.O. at the rest of the ports was to find a nice little bar or cafe on the water, sit in the sun, drink beer and play dominoes for hours on end. It. Was. Fantastic. And, isn't something that needed any documenting.

In Loreto we purchased our one and only souvenir - a miniature nativity set to have out on future Christmases. In La Paz we learned about "micheladas" which involve a large salt-rimmed glass with ice, beer and lime or tomato juice. Any way you make it, it's refreshingly delicious and goes well with marinated pork nachos or ahi tacos.

In Cabo we witnessed some funny Spring Break behavior, watched a poor guy step directly into dog poop on the beach, and had quite a few mango daiquiris (which did indeed make PoopGate 2009 funnier). We also went to Cabo Wabo, and had excellent guacamole, but unfortunately did not see Sammy Hagar.

We had a blast, and thank Dique's parents so much for turning us onto cruising! And I'll shut up now and leave you to some pictures.

Watching the Ryndam dock from our hotel room/balcony - hooray for a camera timer!

Waiting to get on the boat - like the garter around Dique's arm? Classy!

Safety first, right? Getting ready for the drill - loving the camera timer, again.

Our room taken from the front door - and Dique's big feet.

To the immediate right is the bathroom with a tub big enough for me to take a bubble bath!

To the left are two closets with perfect His/Hers sizing.

Leaving San Diego @ sunset. With champagne, natch.

Second night = Formal Dress + Fancy Dinner

Mazatlan 950+ foot zip-line!

Zip-Line Master Dique in Mazatlan

Tuni ready to rock the Mazatlan zip-line.

Dique & Tuni on the not-so-romantic "Romantic Sunset Cruise"

Birds - adding to the not-so-romantic romance of the "Romantic Sunset Cruise"

Dolphins from farther away.

Dolphins closer up!

Birds that we kept calling terradactyls because they have a prehistoric look about them.

Dique & Tuni are over the "Romantic Sunset Cruise" and pose for the camera just before it dies.

The Quest(ions) For a Dique & Tuni-esque Wedding

It's a truth universally acknowledged that the question "will you marry me" is the beginning of many (hopefully) happy events. What's not disclaimed, and should be, is that one huge question is just the beginning of endless other questions. Those four words instigate a domino effect of discussions, debates and decisions not only about where/when/how you're going to get married - but also, what to do after (like the honeymoon, joint bank accounts, etc.).

For us, the honeymoon was an easy, pressure-free topic - something we'd bring up over pancakes, a walk or a movie. There was never a sense of need nor urgency. We figured, hey. It's a vacation. We can plan it whenever. Everything else was guided by my 'Bridal Vision' and then debated at length (inside my own wacky head, or out loud with my wonderful wedding posse, mostly Mama J and Dique).

The only thing I knew going into the wedding was the color palette was going to be my favorite colors: deep red and light pink and everything in-between. No matter what time of year or where it was going to be - I was going to have a Blush And Bashful wedding. So there.

Luckily for me, Dique was fine with it (did I marry the right fellow or what?!!?).

The rest of our wedding and subsequently the honeymoon was planned because of the time of year.

Our wedding was on February 21st, 2009 for four simple reasons:

1. We got engaged on May 10, 2008 and I did NOT want to be engaged for more than a year.
2. We knew we were going to get married in the same church where Dique's parents were married, and that church (along with most Catholic churches in The States) require six months of engagement in order to do all the nuptial preparations (hereafter referred to as The Hoops).
3. My dad's British, and I wanted to give relatives and friends a cheaper season in which to travel.
4. My mom's a kindergarten teacher, and I wanted the wedding to be the Saturday after a week of vacation so that she would be off work and wouldn't have to write sub-plans while trying to throw a wedding -- plus it would be good to have the week off to be with out-of-towners.

The two dates that filled these requirements were April 18th and February 21st. So, that was nicely narrowed down.

The church only does up to three weddings a day - before noon, noon-time and 3:00pm. I had always assumed I'd have an evening wedding... so?

Afternoon/evening... to-may-to/to-mah-to... right?

We took the 3 o'clock and hoped for April 18th. Springtime! Gorgeous flowers! A sunset reception at some old SF establishment like 1 Fort Mason with a band playing and champagne punch flowing!

Except, 3pm on the 18th was taken - but the 21st was still available. At 3 o'clock. Done!

As soon as we nailed the date down, we wrote a preliminary guest list - and realized the gorgeous 1 Fort Mason would be too small for us. And, since we now had a February date, outside space wouldn't matter since it would be dark by 5pm and who knows what the weather would be doing? So, I went back to the drawing board to look at reception sites that matched my criteria of:

1. SF landmark spot big enough for 200 people
2. Enough character to stand-alone without a view
3. In the budget

I looked at local mansions, hotels, civic buildings... nothing really struck a chord with both of us - at least nothing that was in our budget (hint: it rhymes with "shairmont"). And then , on the bus with Dique about three weeks after being engaged (I work fast) it hit me: Bimbo's 365 Club.

I knew they did private events there - and emailed their sales rep as soon as we were home. They were available for February 21st, and sent us a contract right away.

When we told our folks about it, there were a few anxious eyebrows raised - but once they saw the interior they were smitten just as we were. And I think my dad is still recovering from how beautiful it looked the night of the wedding.

Planning the honeymoon? Way easier. We wanted warm weather, no stress nor planning, and I wanted to be able to swim, eat, sleep and drink as much as possible.

One word. One syllable. Rhymes with "muse"....

I've Got A Crush On You...

... Lori Paladino Photography.



http://www.loriphoto.com/

http://www.loriphoto.com/blog/

Lori rocked the proverbial house at our wedding. She had a second shooter, Kirsty Edwards, and an assistant, Jenna Hueckstaedt - and the three made one hell of a dream team. We haven't seen all the pictures yet, but the ones we've looked at (over and over and over again) fill us with such joy and allow us to relive an amazing day - we're beyond thrilled!

There's a sweet song from the movie Juno in which the lead characters sing they're "both pretty cute for two ugly people" -- Dique and I can appreciate this line since we're, how do you say, cute around the edges. I personally still remember my Decade Of Ugliness all too well. But on my wedding day (and with the help of an awesome hair/make-up duo whom I'll blog about in a bit), somehow, Lori & Co. made us look pretty darn good. AND she and her team were fun, friendly and just totally awesome the whole day long!

Lori published a slideshow for us yesterday, and I'm trying to "do actual work" instead of watching it. I'm trying - and not winning. Here, feel free to be distraced by some fun photos of an amazing day (you'll even get a glimpse of our real names - woot!).

http://www.loripaladinophotography.com/kmw/

Forgive the horn tooting, but they are gorgeous, right!?!? We have hot friends and adorable families - and our wedding was in a gorgeous church, and the reception was at a bangin' club - but c'mahn. Those photos are Ah-Mah-Zing.

When I met Lori I felt like I was making a new friend, not hiring a vendor to provide a service for my wedding. I really hope we'll be able to use her again to document more fun-filled family occassions!

Thank you, thank you Lori, Kirsty and Jenna!!

Tuni
xx

Meet Dique & Tuni

You know you know us, otherwise how (or, more to the point - WHY) would you have found this blog? Admit it, it's my fault.

Hi. I'm Tuni, of "Dique & Tuni" -- how's it going?

'Dique' and 'Tuni' are nicknames we've had almost as long as our real names, and we're lucky to still be great friends with those who bestowed the stupid names upon us. For the record, 'Dique' is pronounced 'DEEK' and 'Tuni' is short for 'Petunia' and no I won't divulge from whence the names came. Frankly, the details make up a wonderful "you had to be there" kind of a story so I'll spare you and let you imagine something far more interesting than the truth.

We're a couple of kids that were born and bred in Northern California - Dique is a San Francisco native, and my hometown is Half Moon Bay (just 30 miles south of SF on the coastside).

"Engaged Goofballs" photo courtesy of ourselves, taken Monday May 12, 2008

The short story is that we met through a mutual friend (we'll call her Dirty E) a couple of years ago.

The longer story is that we met on August 26, 2006 on a private party bus headed to a Def Leppard and Journey concert. We clicked instantly and by the end of the night we had each other's phone numbers and hopeful expectations. One date a week quickly turned into 5 dates a week, and soon we were deemed one of the more shmoopy couples around. Dique proposed to me on top of Twin Peaks on May 10, 2008. It was the best day of my life. That is, the best day until we got married on February 21, 2009 - just over a month ago here in San Francisco.

"He's Mine!" picture taken by red-hair Molly @ our wedding 02.21.09

We now live in the Sunset District of San Francisco, which puts us two blocks from Golden Gate Park, 25 blocks from the Pacific Ocean and a $20 cab ride from most restaurants we love.

We ride the bus a lot. And cook at home a lot. We also walk a lot, all over the city - talking about the kind of home we want to own someday, meals to make, parties to have, vacations to take, everything. Now that wedding planning is over and we can just be a married couple with hobbies, we're reveling in the free time with family, friends and each other.

I'll be popping online to document the fun times married life will bring, so unless otherwise noted all entries will be from The Tuni Perspective. Please feel free to comment/call me out/email me to ask why in the world I chose to publish such mundane goings-on/etc. at your leisure.

I'm hoping this blog will be a good way for us to stay connected with all of our loved ones - and I do promise to not use your real names. At least not without your permission. :-)

Happy reading.

Tuni
xx