Pink Shoreline - Rhodochrosite Earrings $32 Last Paradise Bracelet - Turquoise, Sea Green Apatite, Rhodochrosite, Yttrium Flourite, Peridot, Charoite $65
Thursday, July 31, 2008
New Jewelry Creations
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 3:05 PM 0 comments
Labels: Artisan Jewelry, Handcrafted Jewelry, Jewelry
Plumerias
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 2:54 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Always There Are the Horses
I ride because I rode as a child when life was simpler and somehow more complete. Only the whiff of a clean horse is needed to remind of days gone by. For always there have been the horses.
I ride because of all the great horse souls who have shared their lives with me and taught me more than I can say. Their names and faces flash before me as old friends. I ride because of all the horses I shall never ride. Those I have watched and marveled at from afar for all their grace and beauty. This the stuff of a child's dream, the kind that doesn't die with time. Always there are the horses.
I ride because the seasons call to me. Each unique in its appeal and all quite frequently best viewed from the back of a favorite horse. I ride because of all things, horses are my passion. They inspire and encourage, energize, and challenge in ways I cannot explain to the un-initiated. I ride because of the rush of stretching one's self just a bit farther today than before both mind and body. Always there are the horses.
I ride because of those briefest of spans when the partnership comes to full promise. When the path twists and barriers fall, each footfall is measured and balanced between the two as a dance. There are no others....only this moment and this single step to ride. The memories of those times stand vivid in my mind to be recalled with all the freshness of the day at will and in times less grand.
But if I must choose, I ride because I have dreams yet to live. I ride because I have dreams yet to have and what exactly they will be tomorrow I cannot say ... but always there will be the horses.
Author M. Adelia Ramey
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 4:27 PM 0 comments
Fred's Mexican Cafe
Like usual, I didn't feel like cooking, so Chad and I headed off for a bite to eat. We decided to try Fred's Mexican Cafe in Old Town Pasadena. The decor was confused....it looked sort of Mardi Gras/Pirates of the Caribbean, pretty gaudy. The service was good and the food was decent. We happened to go on Taco Tuesday so they had drink specials and taco special (although we didn't order the taco specials). I had #8 Baja Style Baja fish taco and a shrimp enchilada served with Mexican rice & black beans and a Tecate. It was too much for me to eat after all those chips and salsa. Chad had #4 The Wedge Chicken taco and a cheese enchilada served with Mexican rice & black beans. We were both happy with what we ordered. For me nothing compares to Ernie's Taco House, still my all time favorite Mexican food.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 10:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: Restaurant Review
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Earthquake Shakes Los Angeles
An earthquake shook Los Angeles late this morning at 11:42am, measuring 5.4 in magnitude. I was at work, on the fifth floor. We all got under our desks. The epicenter was in Chino Hills which is about 30 miles away from where I was. We all went outside to congragate, but no luck of being sent home early. Back up the stairs we went.
I read in an article today "The probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake occurring in the Los Angeles in the next 30 years is 97%. So it's almost certain. " Yikes!
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 2:52 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 28, 2008
Equestrian Olympics - Dreams breed determination.
11 days till Olympic Games begin in Hong Kong (Aug 8)!
In dressage (derived from the French verb "to train") a horse-and-rider team receives scores based on a series of set movements. The movements test the horse's strength, suppleness, and obedience and the rider's ability to guide the horse through the test with subtle cues. The horse-and-rider team should present harmony, lightness, and free-flowing movement. The competition is held in three rounds. The third round is a freestyle test set to music, first introduced in 1996, that is scored both for technique and artistry.
The discipline traces its roots to Xenophon, a Greek horseman and historian, and to 17th- and 18th-century cavalry officers who considered the maneuvers a valuable training method. In fact, only commissioned officers of the military could compete in Olympic dressage competitions from its inclusion in 1912 until 1952.
In the jumping event, competitors complete a course of 15–20 obstacles within a specific time. The object is to navigate the course with the fewest penalties, which are given for knocking down obstacles, balking at jumps, or falls by rider and/or horse. The obstacles include fences up to 5 1/4 ft. high and 6ft. wide. A tie for first place is settled by a jump-off over a shorter, faster course.
Three-day eventing is the most grueling of the Olympic equestrian events, combining dressage, show jumping, and a cross-country phase. On the first day, riders demonstrate the training and obedience of their horses in a dressage test. The next day they compete in the exciting cross-country phase where they gallop 5,700m over varying terrain and jump up to 45 obstacles. While these obstacles are not as high as those in show jumping they are more solid and include ditches and fences in water. On the final day horse-and-rider teams compete over a show jumping course. This last phase demonstrates the fitness of the horses and how quickly they can recover from the previous day's trial. Eventing competitors do not win points, but instead incur penalty points during each phase. The winners are the rider and team with the fewest penalty points.
For the 2008 Olympics, equestrian will be one of the few events not to be contested within the city limits. Instead, such events will be held in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. The jumping and dressage events will be held at the Shatin Olympic Equestrian Venue, an 18,000-seat outdoor arena that was once part of Shatin Racecourse. Air conditioned stables four blocks long, and with the capacity to hold up to 200 horses were constructed for the competition, along with a number of other amenities for competitors. The cross country events will be held at a venue constructed on the Bead River Country Club and Hong Kong Golf Club.
Rider Age Hometown Horse Horse Age, Breed, Sex, Owner
Beezie Madden, 45 Cazenovia, NY Authentic 13, KWPN, Gelding, Abigail Wexner
McLain Ward, 33 Brewster, NY Sapphire 13, Belgian Warmblood, Mare, McLain Ward, Tom Grossman & Blue Chip Bloodstock
Will Simpson, 49 Thousand Oaks, CA El Campeon's Carlsson vom Dach 12, Holsteiner, Gelding, El Campeon Farm
Laura Kraut, 43 Wellington, FL Cedric 10, KWPN, Gelding, Happy Hill Farm & Peter Wetherill
EVENTING Team: Australia, Britain and France will battle it out for gold, silver and bronze. Spoiler? The U.S. Individual: GOLD: Nicolas Touzaint and Hildago De L'ile (FRA) or Lucinda Fredericks and Headley Brittania (AUS)BRONZE: Clayton Fredericks and Ben Along Time (AUS) or William Fox-Pitt and Parkmore Ed (GBR)
DRESSAGE Team GOLD: Germany and the Netherlands duke it outSILVER: Whoever gets edged in the battle for goldBRONZE: U.S., with Denmark a possible spoiler
Individual GOLD & SILVER: Anky van Grunsven and Salinero (NED) v. Isabell Worth and Satchmo (GER)BRONZE: Up for grabs. Adelinde Cornelissen/Parzival (NED), Nadine Capellman/Elvis (GER), Andreas Helgstrand/Blue Hors Don Schufro (DEN) and Kyra Kyrklund/Max (FIN) are contenders. Long shot: Steffen Peters and Ravel (USA)
SHOW JUMPING Team GOLD: Germany SILVER: United States BRONZE: Canada
Individual GOLD: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly (GER)SILVER: Beezie Madden and Authentic (USA)BRONZE: Eric Lamaze and Hickstead (CAN)
Germany, as usual, is the obvious choice for the team gold medal. The squad is headed by my individual gold medal pick, former America Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, the 2008 World Cup champion and number-one-ranked rider in the world with the amazing Shutterfly. Her team goes from strength to strength. Consider, for instance, that among those backing her up is another possible individual medalist, Ludger Beerbaum.
"The Germans are always the ones to beat," U.S. show jumping coach George Morris told me, noting most of that team's members "have two Aachen grand prix horses. Beezie and McLain and our people, they really just have one."
And don't forget that luck has something to do with the results, not only on the day of competition, but also beforehand. When it comes to luck, the Dutch show jumpers--who were my potential silver medalists--have been in trouble. Their 2000 Olympic individual gold medalist, Jeroen Dubbeldam, was badly injured earlier this year when he was kicked by a young horse. Then Okidoki, the stellar mount of Albert Zoer, hurt his mouth in a freak stall accident. While the horse appears to have recovered, his rider is not doing as well. Albert, the lynchpin of the Dutch team who won the Aachen grand prix on Sam (there's that depth thing again), broke his leg in a training accident two days after Aachen. Although the Dutch were hoping the world's number-two-ranked rider could mend in time to compete in Hong Kong, it seems unlikely.
So with that in mind, I am taking the Dutch out of my medal equation and promoting the U.S. team to silver. Given that anything can happen (see the Dutch team, above) the U.S. benefits from having a great alternate rider in Anne Kursinski. She and Champ are a new combination who just got together in January, but their single-time-fault trip in the first round of the Aachen Nations' Cup demonstrates how well they are meshing, and they offer George a comfort level, since Anne has two Olympic team silver medals to her credit.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 9:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: Equestrian, Horses, Olympics
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fondue Party at the Bagan's
Last night we went to a great party at the Bagans, a fondue party! Lots of people showed up probablly 30 or so and we enjoyed some chicken, shrimp, veggies, bread, and meat dipped in a variety of different cheese fondues (Emnenthaler, Fontina, Pepper), and lots of beer. Delicious! Ave even had two chocolate fountains for dessert. Thier landscaping is finished and looks fabulous! After the feast we all sat around the fire pit and everyone had a great time.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 10:45 AM 0 comments
Labels: party
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Swarovski and Sterling Bracelets
I have made lots of new swarovski and sterling bracelets lately. Most are available through my website http://www.fiveoclocksomewhere.us/, but I love custom orders if you have specific colors in mind (bridesmaid colors, school colors, barn colors, jockey silk colors, birthstone colors). I recently made a few bracelets with the birthstones of husband and wife couples, and they came out beautiful. I make both a bangle style with sterling sides and four crystals across the top for $70, and a bracelet that has crystals and sterling all the way around for $85.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 2:44 PM 0 comments
Labels: Artisan Jewelry, Handcrafted Jewelry, Jewelry, Swarovski
Cafe Bizou
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj524KHl9SmBMXO1lzgdvHbs25G8wRW7OkdgRh39mjJjLujNGprxyshuyyi4g0N7OBLxvp7nM3lPNZTXtqWFtOfWO7o0shLtB3mmqQ7VUQUKCAxyzfi25yzBGNecepudAHOKn1csoQ1mLhR/s320/breadpudding3.jpg)
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 9:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: Restaurant Review
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dinner and a movie
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 8:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: Restaurant Review
Monday, July 21, 2008
Saddle Up
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 11:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: horse training, Horses, Mazzy, Warmblood
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bridge Party
Sponsored by the Pasadena Heritage Society this event is a fund raiser. It is a chance to also party on the "Suicide Bridge" as it is blocked to traffic and bands, food vendors and high octane cocktails are available to make for a really fun and entertaining evening. Food, Bands (A roster of local favorites includes Aluminum Marshmallow and the Age of Aquarius Horns, The Cain Enablers, the Chuck Manning Quartet, Flattop Tom and His Jump Cats, Mercy and the Merkettes, Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums, Snotty Scotty and the Hankies and Wreck ‘n’ Sow.), Bar Tents and dancers, doesn't get much better on a summers evening. We saw tons of people we knew (Tana, Charlie & the kids, Bethsheba (Doggie Nanny), Tamara (Michelle's friend), Cheryl & Michael Anderson, Victor Cass (on duty), Station 38 firefighters, (on duty), Chief Wells, Chief Downs) and met alot of new people. Our group (Kim, Leslie, Missy, Bradley, Linda, John & myself) had a great time. We drank too many mojitos, and danced in to the night ending up at Twin Palms dancing some more, and taking a taxi cab home.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 12:06 PM 0 comments
Labels: Colorado Street Bridge, party, Pasadena Heritage
Friday, July 18, 2008
Dena House
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 10:06 AM 0 comments
Labels: Restaurant Review
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Infrared Body Wrap
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 1:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: Spa
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Handcock, Houston's, Dot's
We went to see Hancock with the Bagans. Funny movie with Will Smith as a drunk, sarcastic, and misunderstood "superhero". Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. Jason Bateman was cute in the movie.
Then it was off to Houston's for dinner. It was average. We've been there countless times before, but it is really best for beef which we do not eat anymore, especially the Prime Rib. They usually have a few fish selections, but they are usually only okay. We started with the grilled artichoke and famous spinach artichoke dip (yummy). I had the Grilled Loup De Mer (Hardwood grilled with Marcona almonds and steamed broccoli), the fish was blah, not worth $30. I also had a glass (or two) of Meyer Family Syrah, which was good. Chad had Half a roasted chicken with crushed herbs, served with Louisiana-style dirty rice. Tony & Ave both had beef. I like the ambiance, especially the artichoke looking lamps. Their booths are big and comfy. The parking is bad, and there is usually a long wait, so be prepared to get a drink at the bar. There is a nice patio outside to enjoy your cocktail.
We had stopped at Dot's on the way in to Houstons (it is right next door) and got some cupcakes which our waitress put in the fridge for us while we ate. They were so good! I had the Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 10:36 AM 0 comments
Labels: Restaurant Review
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Facial Rejuvination
A couple of months ago I bought a promotional spa package to promote new services offered at On The Beach Day Spa in Toluca Lake. Today I had an appointment for a Lumiere Facial Rejuvination. "LED Skin Rejuvenation is the interaction of light, delivered through Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) at precisely 633 nanometers. This pure red light activates cell receptors causing them to produce collagen, elastin, and enzymes that are imperative to the skin's supportive structure. The result is a totally natural, non-ablative method for skin rejuvenation that helps minimize crow's feet, fine lines, wrinkles, reduce scar appearances, hyper-pigmentation, freckles, Rosacea and simply improves the overall appearance of the skin." My skin felt nice afterwards, but I am not convinced I saw any drastic improvements. A package of these Lumiere sessions is $849 for the Intensive Regime.....no thanks, I'd rather have Botox.
I am glad I only bought a promotional package for $55, because many of the services this spa offers seems a little hokey to me.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 1:34 PM 0 comments
Labels: Spa
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Wine Styles
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 9:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th of July!
I had a nice peacefuly ride in the morning before heading off the the Gem & Jewelry Show in Pasadena. I picked up a few things, some beautiful Peruvian Opal, Tourmaline, onyx, Amethyst and some Bali silver findings.
Kim and I went went to one of the surgeons houses she works with at Huntington Hospital for a great 4th of July party. The house was on Linda Vista, and overlooked the Rose bowl for a spectacular view of the fireworks. Chad and Pete both had to work.
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 9:08 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Trapped Faceted Stones
Posted by Five O'Clock Somewhere at 9:24 AM 0 comments
Labels: Farrin O'Connor, Handcrafted Jewelry, Jewelry