#sabinagadecki

[valerie]

first quarter down

Our district has started Fall Break. Glorious! Even though I'm not off for break, I can take days here and there, which I will definitely do. I am taking three days off, strategically placed. ;)

https://flic.kr/p/2ruTjpX So proud of my niece!

My niece has verbally committed to Stanford University!

My sister told me on Friday, while we were waiting for the Homecoming Parade to start. I was SO EXCITED. I am still so excited! I had to wait until Sydnee announced it on her IG, which she did after I published last week's blog post. It was so hard to sit on it but once she announced it, I just had to share to my IG story. And I've been telling friends and co-workers because I am so proud of her! And I am so proud of my sister and brother-in-law for raising such a wonderful and intelligent and talented young woman. It is so wonderful to be able to share some positive news.

It'll be great to have Sydnee so close. We will probably go out for a lot of her home games because OF COURSE. Must be supportive and I cannot wait to be able to show our support for her and the women's lacrosse team. You can be sure that I will be gearing up in Stanford apparel. It'll be hard to wait until she at least graduates from high school. She's class of 2027, so it'll be a couple of years before she's living out on the west coast.

https://flic.kr/p/2pn1apA December 2023

MUSIC

https://flic.kr/p/2rvEraf Just a little IG story back and forth...

Leaving California by Tyler Rich has dropped! You can find it at your favorite music streaming service. Give it a spin, my lovelies! I made a playlist of Hello California and Leaving California since they are the two parts of the whole. I made the playlist my sleepytime tunes and had a good night of sleep. The songs are really good! There's even a cover-- "Comedown" by Bush. It's pretty cool. :D

I've been listening to Mackenzie Carpenter's album Hey Country Queen. I am trying to broaden my country music listening with female artists. We saw Mackenzie at the Jordan Davis show and I wish that I had known her songs before we saw her because I am so digging what I'm hearing now! She has a great voice and her songs are very pleasing to the ear. Give her a spin!

DREAMS

https://flic.kr/p/2rqxVAM

The other night, I dreamt that I was friends or something with Michael Fisher aka The Mr. Mobile and we were hanging out. No other details, just us perhaps hanging out and talking tech stuff because if I could hang out with him, that's what we would be talking about-- tech and such.

I think that same night, I also dreamt that I was meeting up with Meghan Sussex. Somehow I got to take a nap with her and Prince Harry. I don't even know what that's all about! In my dream, she was super kind and sweet. Harry just wanted snuggles so we all took a nap together. I know, it's SO WEIRD. At some point in the dream, someone honked outside and Meghan said it was his father, trying to get him to go to some event that he already decline. And I thought, what, I'm going to maybe meet King Charles?! I did not, as it was just "his people" who were coming by to try and convince Harry to attend. Towards the end of the dream, I knew I was in a dream and trying to figure out where I was imagining myself...

https://flic.kr/p/2rw4Yf4 HBD Sabina!

It's Sabina's birthday as I write (September 28th). Of course I posted on my IG story because that's what I do. I was also able to send a personal message to her. I kinda love that. She's so lovely. The California Collection from Cowboy Tears is live, if you're feeling like supporting this beautiful soul's business. ;)

https://flic.kr/p/2rw1YPy me with a mimosa

The random stuff...

- We went to farmers market on Saturday! I had my corn in a cup (well, container) and a couple of mimosas. The weather is finally cooling down a little and it was lovely being out for a little bit towards the end of the famers market. - Criminal Minds was on sale at iTunes and we bought it. Now we're watching the episodes a few at a time. The show still holds up so far. - Riley Green has a fall collection up. I am currently resisting even though there's a cap that I wouldn't mind having. Why must it be $50?! I'm annoyed by this temptation for my wallet. Darn you, Riley Green, darn you. - I'm going caseless for my Z Flip 7. For now. It's so pretty without the case. And I do have the coverage on it, so if anything happens, I'm covered. https://flic.kr/p/2rw3jqh corn in a cup (erm, container)

Now it's time for bed. Hopefully work is mostly chill on the days I'm there in the next two weeks. And cooler weather would be super cool too...

[valerie]

Long Weekend

Our weekend started on Thursday because it was concert time! Will I talk about anything else in this post? We shall see... https://flic.kr/p/2rp64aV Nobles & Riches HARD ROCK LIVE SACRAMENTO – The Event 2025 We headed up to Wheatland on Thursday afternoon, our destination the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for Tyler's show that evening. Just like last year, we had booked a room and we were once again on the 6th floor (room 621). The room was clean and comfortable, as before, though this time we had one king sized bed as opposed to the two queens we had last time. https://flic.kr/p/2roQ6gB https://flic.kr/p/2rp1Hca After checking in and dropping off our bags, we headed to the Center Stage for some food. We went back to the room for a bit before coming back down about an hour before the show to hang out at Center Stage for a drink. Got to catch up with a couple of G Bar friends as well, which was great. :) https://flic.kr/p/2roUDN1 https://flic.kr/p/2roRqTV Tyler's guitar is in the same place https://flic.kr/p/2roTinT and of course I had to take another picture with it When the venue opened, it was decidedly less frenzied than last year. Not sure what the crowd number was but though it looked pretty full by show time, it didn't feel too crowded at all. The set up was different. Last year's floor seats area was a huge pit for standing room only, with two rows of seats in the back, which I assume were general seats. We were in section 202, row B, seats 1 and 2. Great view of the stage and the pit area without any obstructions. Perfect! https://flic.kr/p/2roN1mA Our view before the pit filled up https://flic.kr/p/2roUeEF Even though I did want to test my new Samsung Galaxy Flip 7, in the end I went with my iPhone because I could trust that the videos would turn out. I need more time with the Flip 7 before I let it chronicle my favorite moments, I suppose. https://flic.kr/p/2roTSQ3 The opener was Ariel Jean. I hadn't heard of her before but she and her band played a great set. It was kinda cool hearing their cover of Guns N' Roses ("Sweet Child O' Mine"). The set rocked. :D After the opener, there was an auction for Tyler's guitar (more than one?) and Sabina was up on stage for that bit. I was so happy she was there! And we knew that we'd have to say hello to her after the show, somehow. I was glad that I had written her a short note just in case she was there. https://flic.kr/p/2roUVFH Tyler and the band on stage Of course, Tyler's show was fantastic! He played fifteen songs from his catalog, most of them from his latest releases. If I have this right, his oldest song was "California Grown" and his newest release is "Lost Time," which he actually wrote nine years ago. I took a snippet of all his songs during the show and here's the playlist: - Hello California - Gets Me Every Time - Cigarettes (Lie to Me) - Summer of Us - Better Than You’re Used To - Give Up To Get It - Lost Time - All The Small Things - The Difference - When? - - California Grown - 11:11 - Whiskey Go Bad - Feels Like Home - Leave Her Wild When I was making a playlist for myself as a remembrance, I found that I had a G-Bar recording of "Lost Time," which I found to be pretty cool. The song basically sounds the same and I love that I have an early version of him performing it. The remarkable thing is that I actually tagged it with the right title. :D The show was being filmed and will become a live album at some point. How cool is that?! I hope it's on vinyl too because I WANT VINYL. I will always want vinyl. I wonder if it'll also be a video. It would be nice to have that as well. It was a really great show. https://flic.kr/p/2roUBAy https://flic.kr/p/2roVfhA a bit zoomed in on Tyler... https://flic.kr/p/2roUuQU Unlike last year, it didn't look like Tyler and the band came out to say hey to those hanging out in the pit after the show. The venue staff pretty much kicked everyone out at the end. We decided to head to the Center Stage bar in the hopes that the crew would make an appearance. Caught up with my G Bar friends and they verified that the band would be stopping by the bar. https://flic.kr/p/2roUJLv with the lovelies https://flic.kr/p/2roVGKP We hung out at the bar and did some people watching. You could tell who was maybe waiting for the band to show up. It was a bit after midnight when they showed up. We stayed at our table, not in too much of a rush since we didn't have anywhere else to be. Tyler and Sabina eventually came over to say hello to us (so sweet) and I was able to give Sabina the little note I wrote her. She was so lovely, as usual. And I gave Tyler my two envelopes to him. (I write him letters and give them to him whenever I see him.) We got our hugs in then Tyler got pulled away. Sabina hung out with us a bit and we took our selfies. I took a few then she took a few on my camera. Hers turned out better. https://flic.kr/p/2roVP1q Was my hand shaky? Darn it! https://flic.kr/p/2rp64aQ I turned this shot into an instax mini print It was fun spending some time with Sabina. She is the sweetest ever and I just adore her. I love her just as much as I love Tyler. Sabina is always so loving and appreciative and she's such a light. She showed us a video of her from the early '00s and messaged it to me for us to watch in full at a later time. (It's an appearance on the Ananda Lewis show.) Tyler drifted back to us and Sabina took a group picture of us on my phone. I'm telling you, she has selfie skills! https://flic.kr/p/2roWsfS me with the Riches Tyler got pulled away again before we could take pictures of just us. He's popular. ;) It was fine because we got more time with Sabina and she's really a delight. When Tyler was finally coming back our way, I told Sabina that I wanted a picture with just him and she took my phone to take the pictures. https://flic.kr/p/2rp5Y1q Yes, I turned this one into an instax mini print too At some point (I can't quite remember when), Tyler did his duty as #MySpellBreaker and gave me a HILARIOUS dose of reality in regards to my current crush. Oh, and the expression his face when he realized who my current crush is was priceless. It's sort of killing me not to say more but it's nice to have a "secret" that isn't online. ;) Other bits: - I asked Tyler about vinyl and when he's going to release his music that way. Answer: After the second half of the double album comes out, so before the end of the year. SWEET!!! - I asked Sabina about her Cowboy Tears sticker, which was on her phone, and she asked if I wanted hers and she proceeded to take it off her phone and I offered up the back of Z Flip 7. She said she wished she had a fresh one for me and I was just happy she was giving me the one that was on her phone. I'm telling you, she is the sweetest. - We're like officially friends now, right? I told Sabina about meeting Ryan Gosling in 1999 and how I have celebrity crushes, which is what led to me revealing my current one. I also told her that if she ever works with one of my fellas, I would be calling on her. ;) When it was time for us to go (and for them too, honestly), we got our hugs in. Tyler thanked me for the letters and said he was looking forward to reading them. Awwww! Sabina also thanked me for the little note I gave her. SO CUTE. https://flic.kr/p/2roZXnx I'll have to make sure to keep that sticker covered when I'm at work... https://flic.kr/p/2rpq5JV It's Sunday now and we went to San Leandro this morning to visit my parents. Mom had pneumonia and then a fall that requires PT, so she's in care right now. Dad was also recently ill but seems to be recovering well enough. It was good to visit with them though we didn't spend too long with Mom. We took Dad to lunch at Harry's Hofbrau in San Leandro and my lasagna was so plentiful that I probably have two lunches from it for work this week. Nice! https://flic.kr/p/2rprLZn in line for food https://flic.kr/p/2rpr5Gm lasagna, wheat roll, pesto pasta salad https://flic.kr/p/2rpq5Je Dad has a lot of cologne My parents are in their 80s and the years are starting to definitely show on them. It's inevitable, of course, but not an easy reality. I know I've been lucky to have my parents in my life for this long... TV Luther - We re-watched/completed this fantastic show plus movie. We had watched the first three seasons back in the day and this was our chance to finish the show and watch the movie. Can't really say no to watching Idris Elba, right? And his John Luther was always a great watch. They left the movie a bit open ended. Will we get to see more adventures of Luther? Hmm... https://flic.kr/p/2rpr7yi on the way to San Leandro Every time we're on our way back home to Brentwood, I realize that I don't really miss much of San Leandro and the surrounding area except the weather. It was in the 70s while we were there today and I find that to be perfect. When we got home, it was in the 90s. I am so ready for freakin' sweater weather, I tell ya. Here's to a good week with perhaps cooler weather! :D Read the full article

[valerie]

TWITL - week thirty-nine - Thinkin' We're In Love - #TylerRich

We had the best weekend! We went up to Reno to see Tyler Rich play at the Cargo Concert Hall on Friday night and stayed a couple of nights at the Silver Legacy. It was lovely to get away and to experience a great show. https://flic.kr/p/2nQuBTv We got to Reno in plenty of time to check-in at the hotel and take the short walk to the venue. We found it easily enough then headed back to the hotel for a drink. When it was time, we were back at the Cargo Concert Hall for the early admittance for VIP ticket holders. Yes, we went VIP for this show. https://flic.kr/p/2nQs52S The VIP experience meant early entry to the venue, a two song acoustic set with Q&A (though no one asked any questions), a meet and greet laminate, a photo with Tyler, a collectible tour poster, and merchandise shopping before the doors opened for general admission. https://flic.kr/p/2nQshd5 Tyler took the stage after most of the VIP attendees were inside and when he saw us, he gave us a little extra smile. He sang "11:11" and "Leave Her Wild" for us and answered the one question most people asked ("Yes, Sabina is here"). He said we'd see her in the crowd later bopping around. After the two song set, we were invited to line up for pictures with him. We hung back a little to let others get their turn before joining the line. There wasn't a huge crowd of us, which gave Tyler time to chat a little. When it was our turn, Tyler greeted us warmly and we took our pictures together. https://flic.kr/p/2nQtLLt Robyn Ottolini opened for Tyler and she was FANTASTIC! I watched her show from the back but even back there I could feel and see her energy. She sounded great! And her songs were catchy. I really liked her. After Robyn's set, we joined the crowd closer to the stage. We caught sight of Sabina and had to say hello. It was SO GOOD to see her! We took a couple of pictures together and then Tyler started his set. https://flic.kr/p/2nQu2GB Tyler's show was AMAZING. We've seen him perform many times over the past seven years (wow, SEVEN YEARS) and I have always enjoyed his shows. He has grown a lot as a performer and this show is definite proof. He sounded great and the guys in the band were fantastic. The whole show was so well put together and I loved it. The venue had the right amount of space and comfort. It was perfect for such an intimate show. https://flic.kr/p/2nQpci7 After the show, Tyler stayed after a bit to say hello and take pictures with fans. We found Sabina again and took more pictures together because of better lighting but I think my hand wasn't too steady with some of the shots. https://flic.kr/p/2nQtCP3 https://flic.kr/p/2nQ7vui Towards the end of the line of fans saying good bye, I decided I might as well get in for one last hug and photo with Tyler. It was great to talk a little with him and tell him how fantastic his show was (because man, it was amazing). He was glad to see us and we were glad to be there. https://flic.kr/p/2nQtDgW Our time in Reno otherwise... https://flic.kr/p/2nQxn9e It was nice being in Reno! The weather was lovely though I wouldn't have minded it being colder. Our room at the Silver Legacy was decent with a great view so no complaints there. Tyler's show was on Friday night, so we had all day Saturday to do what we wanted. We ate and drank and were in bed in time to get up super early Sunday and be home before the early NFL games started. Not bad! https://flic.kr/p/2nQw2BM Last thoughts... It makes me happy when Tyler and Sabina see us and light up. I do dearly love them and I'm glad for the moments we get to share. Tyler's shows just keep getting better and better and Sabina is always such a sweetheart. She is the ultimate hype woman and she has a warm and genuine soul. I love that they're my friends and I love that they consider us theirs. The only thing we missed was meeting the doggie! Next time? If you have a chance to check out Tyler's show, DO IT. Buy that ticket and have yourself a damn good time. https://flic.kr/p/2nQv2mP Read the full article

[valerie]

The reasons for my happiness at @TylerRich’s show:⁣ ⁣ 1 - Our first shot as a trio! For some reason it’s usually only me taking a picture with Tyler…⁣ 2 - Just me and Tyler⁣ 3 - I simply adore @Sabina. It always makes me so happy to see her. ⁣ 4 - It’s always the best time with my one and only. ⁣ 5 - Sabina and I take the most beautiful shot together. ⁣ 6 - The end of the night photo because of course. ⁣ ⁣⁣ #TylerRich #CargoReno #SabinaGadecki #TylerRichValerie #MySpellBreaker (at Cargo Concert Hall) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjMcEqPLZU2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[valerie]

TWITL - week twenty-six - my summer break

New Post has been published on https://kiari.com/2021/07/twitl-week-twenty-six-my-summer-break/

TWITL - week twenty-six - my summer break

Last year, I didn’t take any chunks of time off from work during summer break but this year I decided I wanted some time off. Once noon hit on that last Friday in June, I was off for eleven whole days.

earrings from 1888 Design

My vacation started rather lowkey. Lots of tv watching and mostly just lazy stuff. My latest buy from 1888 Design arrived on Monday– earrings! They came just in time for me to bring them on our few days away from home. On Tuesday, I went to the salon for a bang trim and eyebrow wax– my first time going to the salon in over a year without wearing a mask. It felt a little odd at first but it turned out to be indicative of the rest of my vacation.

Wednesday – We headed out to Lake Tahoe in the morning. We arrived in the early afternoon and had brunch at Emerald Bay Bar and Grill, then took a drive in the hopes of checking out Emerald Bay. Alas, there was no where to park so we headed to the hotel to check in.

view from our room at the MontBleu

After we took our stuff to the room at the MontBleu, we walked to South of North Brewing Company for drinks. From there, we walked a bit and stopped in at Flatstick Pub for more drinks. One our way back to the hotel, we stopped at Lake Tahoe Aleworx . We were back to the hotel in the evening and I ended up going to sleep. The altitude and warm weather (and yes, probably the alcohol) definitely wore me down a bit.

early lunch at the Lucky Beaver

Thursday was our one full day at Lake Tahoe. We started it off at the Lucky Beaver for an early lunch. The burger I had (pictured above) was really good! After eating, we decided to head out to Carson City for a change of venue. We knew we wouldn’t be gone too long since we had dinner reservations.

The Fox Brewpub

The drive to Carson City wasn’t too long and the city itself just seemed to appear. It didn’t look like much until we got into the historic area of the city. We stopped in at the Fox Brewpub for drinks then decided to check out the Nevada State Museum.

I enjoyed the museum. It had an interesting mix of things like a mine in the basement, coins that were once made there, historical artifacts. It was a lovely way to pass the time and learn a few things about the history of the state.

On our way back to Lake Tahoe, we stopped off so that we could enjoy the view and take some pictures. It really was rather beautiful there, though the weather was a lot warmer than I expected though this was probably the first time I’d been to Lake Tahoe in the summer.

We had dinner at the hotel, at Ciera Steak and Chop House. It was a bit fancy but super nice. Dinner was delicious and filling and the service was excellent. I would definitely recommend it.

The next morning, we packed up and headed out. We originally planned to go straight home after our couple of days away but then Tyler Rich announced a show in Folsom and I thought, hey, why don’t we go to Folsom for his show, stay the night, then head home? The husband was cool with that idea so as soon as the tickets went on sale, I bought a pair then he booked us a night at a nearby (walking distance!) hotel.

We passed some time before checking in at the hotel by walking down Sutter Street. We had a light lunch at a cute place called Reset: Cafe by Day. The chicken salad was very good and the mimosa was delicious. After lunch, we walked a bit further and found the Folsom Hotel, which was the venue for Tyler’s show.

found the Folsom Hotel and fliers for Tyler’s shows on the window…

We checked in at the Lake Natoma Inn, cooled off a bit, then headed out for a drink at the nearby Folsom State Slickers. After our drinks, we walked to the Folsom Hotel for the 4PM show. The music was going to be outside (it had been inside the previous night), which was a good thing even though it was blazing hot. I found a place up front and stayed there until the end.

Elana Jane

Elana Jane was the opening act. I confess, I’d never heard of her but she was a treat to watch. Good voice, good songs. I enjoyed her performance. It’s always cool discovering local talents when they come back to entertain…

Tyler with Joe, Tyler, and Ben…

Tyler Rich is always going to be one of my favorites. He’s gotten so good on stage and he always sounds great. When he started his set, it didn’t feel like almost two years ago since we last saw him. When he saw us, he gave us a little extra smile and of course, my heart warmed. It was great being so close to the stage (bales of hay gave a bit of a separation) and everything sounded good. I love acoustic shows though I might have missed hearing real drums.

Tyler played most of his more recent songs but there were a couple of “oldies” mixed in, like “California Grown” and “Turn It Up.” I loved hearing them all! It was great to finally hear “Feels Like Home” and “Better Than You’re Used To” live, as well as “Real Love” (one of my personal favorites). The songs played, according to the playlist, were:

11:11

Turn It Up

Real Love

Heaven is Your Hometown

Billie Jean (cover)

Feels Like Home

Better Than You’re Used To

Have You Ever Seen the Rain (cover)

The Difference

Made for a Small Town

California Grown

Boot Scootin’ Boogie (cover)

Leave Her Wild

It was so great being outside, singing along to Tyler’s songs with other fans. Sure, it was HOT but the music and the energy just pushed that away for a bit. The 4PM show was all ages so it wasn’t too wild. It was just good fun. Sabina was in the crowd, singing along and interacting with everyone. When our eyes met, I think we probably both lit up and she made her way to me and we hugged and told each other how much we missed one another. She is really such a sweetheart. It always makes me so happy to see her.

She’s just so lovely!

After Tyler’s set, Sabina and I chatted a little and took some selfies. She’s so cool. I really do love seeing her and having those little moments. How is someone so genuinely sweet like her?

with Tyler

There was another show at 8PM and everyone at the 4PM show who kept their wristbands on would be able to check out the evening show (since it was outside and not inside as previously planned). I wasn’t sure that we’d come back so I had to take my chance to say hello to Tyler before we left. We hugged and he asked after the hubby (who was up at the bar). I told him I had left my letter to him back at the hotel and he told me that I had to come back for the second show. We took our pictures together (because of course).

Mutton Busters!

Our next stop was the Folsom Pro Rodeo. We ordered an Uber that took FOREVER and we thought we were late but we got to the rodeo just before it started. It was full! We headed to our seats just in time to watch the National Anthem. The big drama was during the opening when the rider holding the California state flag was bucked off her horse and landed badly. They had to use the stretcher to take her out! It was a little scary but she seemed aware though in obvious pain.

Cowboy Karaoke with Tyler

Tyler was there! He did the Cowboy Karaoke then the Painted Ladies came out to entertain us with some great riding. The last thing we saw was the Mutton Busting. It was so darn cute! A girl won, staying on the longest. She was so good!

We left after the mutton busting with the thought of maybe catching Tyler’s evening show. We stopped in again at the Folsom Hotel and we were definitely in time to watch Tyler but we were hungry and hot and decided to go across the street and eat some burritos. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel.

We were on the road the next morning and back home before the afternoon. Isn’t it funny how you always want to get away but when you’re back home, it feels like such a relief?

For 4th of July, we headed to Pleasant Hill for hanging out with the cousins then watching fireworks from up their hill. It was great doing something “normal” and just talking and eating and drinking together. I love that we can watch the fireworks from behind their house, on a hill. We get to be together without a bunch a strangers around us. Always such a good time and even better because no one had to work the next day!

cousins

And now it’s Tuesday morning, my last day of vacation. It was so great not having to wake up to an alarm all this time. I really did enjoy being away and checking out new places. I thought it would feel weird not wearing a mask but I got over it pretty quickly (though I kept a mask on me just in case) and it all just felt “normal.” I’m glad that Tyler was our first show since lockdown. I loved hanging out with my cousins and just relaxing and talking with them. All good times.

us

If you actually made it through this whole post, good on you!

Take care and be well, dear reader. Stay safe. You know the drill…

[valerie]

A very happy birthday to @sabinagadecki. She is the loveliest and sweetest soul I’ve ever met and I love her very much. Hope you’re having a wonderful day, Sabina, and I hope we see each other again soon. Miss your face! 😘🎊🎂🎉 #SabinaGadecki #SabinaGadeckiRich (at Cache Creek Vineyards & Winery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrr3NfBHxu/?igshid=q3cmxvh2nyw2

[osmessiah]

#MadelainePetsch, #SabinaGadecki, #DJKhaled (with his longtime fiance Nicole Tuck), and #CherylBurke stepped out to celebrate the highly-anticipated TAO, Beauty & Essex, Avenue, and Luchini LA Grand Opening! • • • • • #MadelainePetsch, #SabinaGadecki, #DJKhaled (com sua noiva de longa data Nicole Tuck) e #CherylBurke saíram para celebrar a tão aguardada TAO, Beauty & Essex, Avenue, and Luchini LA Grand Opening!