While Matt was having lunch with co-workers at Lucille's BBQ, someone mentioned that Lucille's is good, but Baby Blues BBQ in Venice Beach is even better. Apparantly it was even recommended by the Food Paradise show on the Travel Channel. We were intrigued, and so we ventured out this weekend to give it a try.

The place was pretty much a hole in the wall, and there wasn't enough room to wait inside, so people had to wait outside. And it was chilly!!

Sorry this pic is blurry but I turned off my flash because I didn't want to annoy the people around me. This sign was on the tables, and I thought it was pretty amusing.

Our appetizer, yum! Shrimp on top of cornbread with cotija cheese. I don't know if you can see the label on the plate behind this one, but it's the Anahem Angel's logo! All the plates were plastic A's or Dodgers plates. Classy...lol.

We were really hungry and started to scarf down the rest of our food right away, so I forgot to take pics of the rest of it. Matt had ribs, with corn on the cob and mac and cheese and I had pulled pork with creamed spinach and mac and cheese. Matt liked his, but I thought mine was just ok. Well except for the mac and cheese....It was probably definitely one of the best mac and cheeses I ever had! If you can get past the fact the restaurant is totally cramped and crowded, they use plastic baseball plates, and there was creepy art on the walls, it wasn't too bad. I don't know if I'd ever want to go back though. (Except maybe if it was just to get the mac and cheese! :-P)

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On another note, I had to drop something off at my office today and so I took a few pics since I realized that I don't have too much more time there :( There's a lot that I don't like about my job, but I do like my office, and a few of my co-workers that help to keep me sane each day!! It's going to be really wierd working from home.

What I look at all day long

my view

4.5 weeks left in Cali! EEK! It's really weird to think about it that way. It hasn't completely sunk in yet. Although this weekend I did start to pack up a few things that we're going to take in the car with us. Then tomorrow someone from the moving company is coming to scope out our stuff and on Thursday we have a briefing on base regarding the PCS. So with the little time we have left we're trying to enjoy everything we can, particularly the gorgeous weather! We went for a hike today around Palos Verdes and it was HOT!

The puppies first ride in the Xterra...all the way in the back...no more dirty seats!! Woo Hoo!

It was such a clear day, it was probably one of the clearest times I've ever seen Catalina Island.

Me and my Max

Taking a break in the shade

A hike on a hot day wouldn't be complete without some....PINKBERRY! I had Pinkberry for the first time about 2 weeks ago and I've had it about 3 times since then. I'm now officially obsessed. It's too bad they don't have any in the DC area :( Guess I have to eat as much as I can over the next month ;)

I <3 Craigslist

We bought the Xterra a few weeks ago but we hadn't had a chance to sell the Taurus yet. We had decided to just sell it privately because we could get more money for it that way versus trading it in. With all the hussle and bussle of the holidays we just finally this weekend were able to get around it to. Matt spent almost 4 hours cleaning and scrubbing the car to make it presentable. So then yesterday around 3pm we posted an ad on Craigslist. Within 30 minutes we got 4 calls, and by 7:30pm the car was sold!! I <3 Craigslist :)

What a whirlwind! We flew into Pittsburgh, spent 2 days there, drove to Hanover and spent 4 days there, then drove back to Pittsburgh for another 2 days before flying home. It was so nice to see everyone of course but it just went by way too fast! At least we'll be moving closer in a few months!

Our nephew Will LOVES trains, and so Matts parents have a train track that goes around their Christmas tree. (you can see it in the back of this pic - also see Will's little rocking chair facing the tracks - so cute!) This box is the "tunnel" for the train.

Will loved playing with Uncle Matt and hiding in the tunnel!

We spent Christmas Eve opening presents at the Kauffmann's. Matt's parents got us a box full of tools - in anticipation of us buying a house in Maryland! I'm sure they're definitely going to come in handy!

Matt's sister and her husband

Matt was so excited when he found this toy for Will. It's a remote controlled "assault vehicle." It has little nerf darts (12 of them) and you can drive it around and shoot the darts out of it. They actually go really far! And Will had a blast with it. It's fun being the aunt and uncle that can buy the kids annoying gifts and then send them home with their parents! haha. Sorry Natalie, I'm sure you'll get us back someday!

Christmas morning we tried out Matt's dads new waffle maker...yum!

Then we drove over to my parent's house for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures on my camera! We took all the pictures with my parents camera so I'll have to my mom send them to me. But I did take this pic of Roxy, my parent's boxer. Matt was torturing her by attaching her toy to her collar so that she couldn't reach it! Mean!

On Saturday we had a surprise 30th birthday party for my brother. His actual birthday is Christmas Eve, but it's usually easier to celebrate it on another day. This is his fiance holding the cake with all 30 candles!

Trick candles!

Resorting to using his fingers since blowing didn't work!

While we were in Hanover we also got to take a day and drive down to Maryland to check out our new base. It seems like it should be a nice area - definitely going to be different from LA! We also got to meet with our realtor and go look at a few houses. It was pretty exciting house hunting. I didn't want to have to come back, I wanted to keep looking at houses!

Once back in Pittsburgh we got a little more quality time with the family. This is our nephew Jake.

Matt and the scrabble game he won at...although he only beat me by 2 points!

Will and Matt stacking up dominoes and then blowing them over!

And snow! It actually wasn't too cold in PA until the last day there when it snowed a few inches. So pretty!