41. Beat Eric Paine at Racquetball

Finally!!! I get to cross something off my list. The reason I put this on my list is because I have NEVER beat him before... and we have played more than a couple times. We played many times at UCLA and if I ever got to double digits, I would have called family just to let them know my triumphs. Last night, I played racquetball with Eric, Chris, and Gonzo. It was nice to have Gonzo out with us for the first time. It is easy to see him getting better fast with some of the shots he made last night. He did however almost decapitate his doubles teammate everytime he served. We switched off playing 1 on 1 after the the first game and so I took my first crack at beating Eric. Sadly, I did not. The second game, I finally got him. There was only two other people watching... but I am pretty sure, a capacity crowd would have stormed the court. It was, in a word, AWESOME. 49 more to go!!!!

Work in progress "41. Beat Eric Paine at racquetball"

I had my first attempt at crossing something off my list. I played racquetbal with Alan, Eric, and Sean. While Eric and Sean were on their way, Alan and I played a couple practice games... or so I thought. Alan won the first in a close battle and the second not so much. Alan decided to ask me, "Do I get anything for beating YOU three times in a row?" 13 points later (in a game to 15) Alan finally scored his first point. The game mercifully ended 15-1. We then played doubles. A racquetball court is a room.... a small room... made for only a few competitors. Racquetball doubles pits two teams of two players against each other in a battle royal that can REALLY only be won by avoiding serious injury from rouge racquets and screaming racquet balls moving off Eric's racquet at speeds only Usain Bolt and Superman can relate to. The Smith Brothers started fast to a 10-0 lead. One point away from a "skunk," Eric and Sean came back with an 8-1 run to close it to 11-8. In a clutch performance resembling the days of Jordan and the Tim Donaghy refereed Laker playoff games from the early 2000's, we closed the match late with a furious run to victory. It would have been even sweeter if I could cross off "41. Beat Eric Paine at racquetball" but sadly, the intent was to beat him 1 on 1. Maybe next time...

Italian Night: The Difference 7 Minutes Makes

Once upon a time, I thought pasta with marinara was a little simple (aka boring) for my tastes. Then we went to Italy. Now I can not stop drooling over my memories of steaming hot, perfectly al dente spaghetti tossed in a simply delectable pomodoro.

So tonight, I denied my dependence on food network recipes and improvised, sans recipe and armed with only a handful of tomatoes, a bunch of basil, some garlic, onion, red wine, and e.v.o.o. It was cooking in its most basic form - purely to taste with a little of this and some more of that. Taking a cue from a fantastic plate of pasta I had in Verona, I pulsed each of the ingredients through a food processor, separately to prevent emulsion. Not only did it provide great texture, it made prep a breeze! The end result? Well... the first photo was taken at 7:44PM ... the second photo was snapped at 7:51PM...

Craving a sweet treat after our quick weeknight dinner, we headed out to our favorite gelateria in Laguna: Tutto Amore. This place makes me feel like I'm heading through the streets of Venice all over again, with the two Itals who run the joint and converse in Italian non-stop. I could listen to that beautiful language all day long!! And the gelato? It is no joke - tastes just like the real thing! I am tempted to head out there every night in hopes that this place doesn't go under in this terrible economy. If that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is!

Weekend in Palm Desert

Well, I didn't get to cross anything off of my list. However, Joo and I did get to go to my Mom and Ron's house in Palm Desert, spend time with Crystal Chessher (and watch her nightly news spot on Desert channel 6) and play Indian Wells. It was a gorgeous golf course in great condition with perfect weather. I ended up shooting a 92 which is neither good nor bad. I will definitely need to play better to cross off "6. Beat Alan at golf" I did have a birdie today and some nice pars. All in all, it was just about a perfect weekend. Thanks guys!

Happy 30th Jimmy!!!

Thanks to Erik and help from other friends (namely Bethany, Nicole, Darren and more) who put together a fun night celebrating Jimmy turning 30 in Santa Monica. It was a night full with great friends, many drinks, and kung fu kicks. Happy Birthday Jimmy and it was awesome to see everyone together. Next time, we will have to play a drinking game so I can cross something off my list

THE SMITH CHRONICLES

I initially thought of using the other blog site to track my 50 goals but I have now simply added it to THE SMITH CHRONICLES (http://jooandbobby.blogspot.com/)

In addition to following my 50 things, Joo and I will also be keeping you up to date (whether you like it or not) with our adventures.

Hope you like it

50 in 500

I have identified 50 goals. Some big... most small. They are things that I want to accomplish, have not done in a while, or have been putting off. As I cross things off my list, I will share them with you as well as some random musings I decide to waste your time with.

I initially got this idea from friends of mine (Martin Schatz http://marsense.blogspot.com/ and Will Conkhttp://willconk.blogspot.com/) who decided to set some short-term attainable goals in order to better their lives. This... is my version.

Often times, we aim to spend time with friends and family, take part in activities, or simply complete the tasks of everyday life but we push those things aside. I want to use this site to make sure i look back 500 days from now and have done what would make me most happy (... and yes, beating close friends and family at the sports they love does it for me!!!).

I have left a couple spaces open to add some goals I am sure I left off. I hope you all enjoy these posts and let me know your thoughts.

TYSON!

A big warm "WELCOME!!" to the newest, cutest addition to the Smith clan! This is Tyson - warm, cuddly, and happy to take any leftover food off your hands... or plate. I can not believe how adorable this guy is - as you can clearly see. I hear he is a bulldog-shepherd mix and I know he is a smart guy - it took all of 3 minutes and a handful of treats for him to learn how to sit - and then lay down - and then shake - and then sit back up from laying down! Can't wait to see how big Tyson grows up to be... can't wait for the fun time play dates with Rusty and Kona... and definitely can't wait to hear the next funny story about what Tyson just did!

Inked... Again

Bobby couldn't help himself and got another tattoo and I love it! The graphic is a negative of a floral motif from Grampa-Gramma's headstone on Oahu, which is now placed on the outside of Bobby's right calf. Bobby knew he wanted his next tattoo as soon as he saw the headstone on our last visit to Hawaii in May, which must have prompted the close up shot that eventually made it onto this leg.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I headed to Raygun in Dana Point with Bobby, already hungry for dinner at the late hour of 6:30 PM, because we didn't walk out Raygun until 2 and 1/2 hours later. Needless to say, I was starving and also bouncing off the walls because watching someone else get a tattoo is a lot like watching grass grow or water boil - although Bobby's various facial expressions were entertaining... but it was all worth it in the end because it came out so well!

A Dog's LIfe

Our lovable pups. They fill our hearts with joy and our home with hair. Most of their days are spent protecting our home (with loud barks) from friendly puppies, walking their own humans across the sidewalk in front of our house, napping and sunbathing on our studio sofa in the front room, and relentlessly begging for food (Rusty) or toys (Kona).

Due to the excessive heat, we've given up on walks and have been taking the boys to the park for a good round of frisbee - where Kona leaps to astounding heights as he catches the frisbee that we've thrown from shady comfort under the trees and where Rusty happily sniffs his heart out among the bushes. Nothing expresses their joy and sheer exhaustion better than the picture below, taken immediately upon returning from the park. Both are obviously panting and drooling EVERYWHERE. Once again, I am thankful for moisture resistant bamboo flooring.

This happy state lasts for about 15 minutes if you're Kona, upon which he is back up and ready for the next game of fetch. Rusty, on the other hand, remains perfectly happy for hours on end snuggled up in a soft throw next to one of his humans. Is it just me, or are our dogs super cute???

Little Mike ... AKA Cousin Mike ... AKA Smitty

We love family! Needless to say, we were super duper excited to welcome our Cousin Mike to sunny, beachy, southern California - where its possible to spend the morning snowboarding at Bear Mountain before heading back for beachside cocktails at sunset (Next time Mike! We're doing it!) - where it's possible to attend ball games at any of three MLB parks on any given day - where delicious Mexican burritos are simultaneously authentic AND sanitary (most of the time) - where you're equally likely to enjoy a balmy summer day in August, December, or February - where 70 degree is considered cold and worthy of breaking out a North Face jacket (worn with rainbow sandals on your feet, of course).

Wanting to show Mike a good time, we helped him experience as many southern Californian joys as possible, beginning with burrito after burrito, a night out at Laguna (refer to below birthday post), two ball games at Petco Park and Angels Stadium, beaches galore, tour of Oakley HQ and peddle kayaking in Newport Harbor. As a result, I am now about 8.5 shades darker than I was five days ago, a huge fan of the 5 for $5 deal at Petco, and an even huger fan of Cousin Mike! Come back soon cousin! You are always welcome here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. PORCELLI!

Words can not express the joy that this lovely couple has injected into our lives. First of all, they are a great couple AND they like to hang out with us AND we like to hang out with them - a surprisingly difficult combination to find in friends nowadays. Second of all, Jana loves many of the same things I do: corepower yoga, food, all things French or Franco, spirituality, ambition, travel, champagne... the list goes on and on. Third of all, this couple includes Porch, who is both wildly entertaining and good-hearted, whether he means to be or not. This is why we were ecstatic to join in on Jana's celebration of HER first 29th birthday. Time will only tell how many more times the two of us will turn 29 again (and again... and again).

The birthday intended on a super-fun, super laid-back bonfire at Aliso (the beach, not the city) - except for one minor detail = bonfire nazis. Groups of tourists and anti-tourist-locals who troll the local beaches for open bonfire sites from the unreasonable hour of 6AM and stake their holdings until dusk via tag-team guarding. So, a bonfire was absolutely out of the question. Not to worry! A simple circle of chairs, sans bonfire in the center, is still fun when in good company. So we ended up with a fun beach day, pow-wows around a ledge packed with food and champagne in a can (thank you Mr. Coppola) and confetti cupcakes. yum!

Mrs. Porch - I hope you had a fantastic birthday. You are loved - not just by us either! By everyone who strolled through to wish you the best year of your life!