Cat LIsOmi Adventures

We’re returning to California after a week in Manhattan with Hurricane Sandy. We were there for the marathon, which was supposed to be tomorrow but got canceled. Here’s how our week went. Day 1: Saturday Arrival We flew in to JFK on Saturday night and found our way to our Airbnb apartment across the street from the Google office in Chelsea. We walked around the block, excited to be in the city. The weather was fine at this point: no wind or rain. Day 2: Sunday Apples We got an early start for apple picking since the forecast was for rain in the afternoon. Suzzy and Terry picked us up and we drove out to New Jersey. Apple picking was so much fun! We got a map of the apple varieties in the orchard and got some long apple picker things that looked like lacrosse sticks. The Crispin apples were the best: huge (2-3 times the size of a fist), crisp, and sweet. We ate them right off the tree. We spent the afternoon at Suzzy and Terry’s place on the East Side of Manhattan, baking an apple pi...

Comic-Con 2012 Highlights: Seeing the Game of Thrones, Total Recall, Walking Dead panel Getting fun things for friends: Princess Mononoke poster & Penny Arcade stuff Watching someone win a trip to outer space at the Big Bang Theory panel Seeing all the fantastic costumes Photo Album Day 1 - Wednesday Met up with Comic-Con roomies, Alison & Melinda (Paul & Karen's friends), at the airport Sauntered over to the convention hall to pick-up my badges Ate BBQ at the "sleazy" bar in the movie Top Gun (during the great balls of fire scene) Walked around & bumped into the San Diego Symphony practicing for their Legend of Zelda concert the following night Day 2 - Thursday Spent the day treasure hunting for friends Got a signature, sketch and orange juicer figurine for Henry from the Penny Arcade folks Purchased a limited edition Princess Mononoke poster for Sam (waiting 2.5 hours in line & met lots of interesting people) ...

We just got back from a couple weeks in Dublin and a week in the English Lake District. Here's a summary of our trip & photos ( Dublin & Lake District ). Dublin Apartment We rented an apartment via Airbnb near the Google office and commuted on bikes along the canal, often in drizzling rain. We were surprised that it was quite cold. Work We both met several people on our teams. Li gave a couple tech talks and Cat worked on a few projects. We had a few "mandatory fun" team outings, like seeing "The Avengers", playing badminton, and gathering at some nearby pubs. Weekends We went on some great tours in Dublin. A free walking tour of the city itself, a tour of Trinity College, the Jameson Whiskey Distillery tour, and the Guinness Factory tour. The tour guides were passionate and all-around excellent. The Trinity College tour ended with a viewing of the centuries-old Book of Kelles and the beautiful Long Room. The Guinness Factory to...

Li and I just got back from a couple weeks in Morocco: Marrakesh, the desert, and Essaouira (a coastal town). Photo highlights . Flight Do not fly Royal Air Maroc if you can help it. We flew this airline from New York to Marrakesh via Casablanca and we will never fly it again. The toilets had no toilet paper on an 8-hour flight. In fact, the first flight's toilet was clogged with two rolls. Some time during the flight, someone removed the two soaked rolls and put them next to the sink. Also, a passenger was so incensed at the rudeness of service that she threatened to punch a flight attendant. Marrakesh Riad: We stayed in Riad Aguaviva in the medina (old town), near Bab El Khemis (which isn't touristy). The owners, David & Manel, are amazing. They made us feel like they were entertaining friends: great personalized advice, walked us to the main square on the first day to ensure that we didn't get lost, free laundry and drinks. David gave us two good piec...