Call me naive but I didn't see this one come. After all these years I should be just a little bit suspicious, but I guess the surprise is always so sweet that I subconsciously just know I don't need to think about it. And it was sweet: Karen took me to the movies! For those who think this is lame, just know that we hadn't been to such a place since September. Yes, life DID change a little. Following that, great dinner at the Teppenyaki with the rest of the gang.

When you think about Tahoe, you think about the powder, snowboarding, carving the snow and none-stop party at the cabin. Unfortunately for us it was more like: sick child, sick wife, sleep and never-ending day. Well, it's not quite what we had hoped for but, luckily, all went back to normal as we headed back to the bay area. One bright spot however: the game nights were a lot of fun, weren't they Jing?

Back last November, our first attempt at visiting San Francisco's Academy of Sciences and its new building had not been very successful. Long lines had prevented us from seeing the main attractions: the rain forest and the planetarium. We learned from our mistakes and showed up much earlier this time and were rewarded with a fascinating journey that started in the tropical forest and ended light-years from where we started. Good to be back!