Bay area sports (Giants, 49ers & Warriors). Being born and raised in Daly City, I was exposed to SF sports at a young age and grew up loving every Bay Area team!
Ohio sports, especially Cleveland – Cavs, Indians, Browns, Buckeyes – I’m still loyal to my hometown teams. I also love cheese, travel, and making furniture.
Traveling anywhere tropical – Bali and Tahiti are on the top of my list of places to visit. And everyone around me knows how big of a Denver Broncos and San Francisco Giants fan I am!
Something I love about living in the Bay Area is the Fort Mason farmer’s market (and really every neighborhood farmers’ market in the city). I love the entire atmosphere – colors, smells, tastes, sense of community. After walking around, I always end up with an interesting mix of produce and come away inspired to experiment with my cooking. Another big draw for me is the proximity to nature, especially how many diverse hiking trails that are close by. Steep Ravine is a favorite because you can loop it however long or short by connecting up to other trails, each with vastly different scenery.
Keeping busy and staying active is a great way for me to relax and clear my head. I love a good workout during the week, and on the weekends it’s all about taking advantage of California – snow or water skiing depending on the season, hiking, and dirt or mountain bike riding. I can’t get enough.
I love going fishing up and down the Russian River, fishing out of Bodega Bay, and the Armstrong Woods. All these are amazing places to be with my family. One of the great things to living in the Bay Area.
I love music. Playing music, going to shows, listening to and talking about music. It was a huge part of my life before Principal Builders and still continues to be.
If you could meet any celebrity (dead or alive) who would it be?
Marine wildlife conservationist and environmental activist Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has always been someone I would like to meet. Our planet needs so much help and he’s out there actively fighting for it on the front line.
I was an Artistic Director and 7-year veteran dancer for a professional, Hip Hop dance company. I’ve traveled and performed all over the US and overseas in China and Switzerland. I’ve opened for Kool and the Gang, Omarion, and Ludacris.
I love hiking in the redwoods on the Peninsula, fishing outside the Golden Gate and coming home from Tahoe to that spectacular view of the SF skyline. Any chance I get, I also love getting my truck camper up to the mountains. Someday I’d like to drive it down to Baja.
What is something that people don’t know about you?
I used to work with Principal Builders for many years as a subcontractor at Design Workshop. I eventually joined Principal Builders because I enjoyed working with the staff so much!
Playing with my baby boy and my border collie! I also love hiking, yoga and trying new Bay Area restaurants. Lately, I’ve been hooked on Serika Sushi in Orinda and Luka’s Taproom in Oakland.
What are your 3 favorite Bay Area places/activities/things?
The Beach! The Merry-Go-Round (I sometimes even use my daughter as an excuse). And of course, the people – everyone in the Bay Area brings something unique. You almost feel as though they have found their way here for a reason.
I love television and movies, and I have a fond appreciation for choreographed fight scenes – which could be the reason why I joined a Muay Thai boxing gym.
What are your 3 favorite Bay Area places/activities/things?
It’s only logical that I enjoy home organization (and making spaces pretty). Of course spending time with my two little girls. They are also my favorite things! Activity-wise, I enjoy watching the Giants play at Oracle Park, visiting the Palace of Fine Arts, and being on the water in the Bay.
If you could meet any celebrity (dead or alive) who would it be?
I love science so it would have to be Nikola Tesla. He was a physicist, inventor, mechanical & electrical engineer and was a major contributor to the birth of commercial electricity, along with so much more. He was a celebrity in his day and one of the greatest inventors in history.
Hands down – my family. From my parents, my siblings and their families, to my husband and our children. It warms my heart like nothing else to spend time with them.
I try and take advantage of any opportunity to hear music and see art throughout the Bay Area. But one thing I think is special is being on the 50th floor of a tower to experience an Oakland Hills’ sunrise. It’s truly magnificent.
I would go scuba diving and free diving every day if I could – but only in warm, clear, tropical oceans with many fish and reefs. Spending an hour under water at 60 feet below the surface is like being on a different planet.
I’ve been riding in motocross for 40 years and continue to do it today. I race with a group called “Over the Hill Gang” (OTHG), and at each event we have 175-250 riders show up. It’s the largest “vet racing” club in the U.S.
What has been the most interesting city you have been to?
I love New York City. I love the view from the top of the Empire State Building, walking around Central Park and also deep-sea fishing off of Staten Island. Plus it’s always nice to hang out with my brother who lives in Brooklyn.
If you could meet any celebrity (dead or alive) who would it be?
Drinking tea and reading a good book is one of my favorite ways to relax, so I would probably say Queen Elizabeth. But mostly because I would love to have tea at Buckingham Palace!
Many people have no idea that I used to drive in demolition derby’s 4×4 truck pulls and mud bog racing. I got into it when I was 18 years old and did it for about five years.
Swimming in the Bay – no wetsuits allowed! A bike ride into Marin. Paradise loop in particular, or to a brewery in Fairfax. And Zeitgesit for a Bloody Mary and a game of Cribbage.
If you could meet any celebrity (dead or alive) who would it be?
Charles Barkley. I loved watching his basketball career evolve from college at Auburn University, and I was a huge fan of when he played in the NBA. Now I enjoy watching him as an analyst for the NBA. I never know what he is going to say.
What has been the most interesting city you have been to?
Sun Valley, Idaho. I love the outdoors; there is killer skiing and a great scene for fishing and hunting. There are also some of the most gorgeous homes there that I’ve ever seen. I’d love to go back.
What has been the most interesting city you have been to?
The most interesting place I’ve ever visited was Assisi, Italy. There’s nothing quite like the combination of Italian food, wine, art and architecture in one city.
I am a prolific knitter, as any of my family members or close friends can attest to. When not at work, I can usually be found with knitting needles in hand and a ball or two of colored yarn. Occasionally with a completed piece, but most often with an over-ambitious knitting project in a snarled tangle.
The Last 1000. It’s about a school named Marefat in Afghanistan where local girl and boy Shias learn how to read, think, and believe, in a democratic world.
What is something that people don’t know about you?
I love to cook and garden. Being able to use produce from my backyard to create some delicious food is one of the best feelings. Add a glass of wine while listening to Frank Sinatra or Louis Armstrong and you’ve just figured out my favorite kind of weekday night!
When my kids were younger it was all about youth sports. Now that they are on their own, my wife and I enjoy traveling. Our next trip is trekking in Patagonia.
What has been the most interesting city you have been to?
I spent a considerable amount of time in the Czech Republic and fell in love with Prague. Friendly people, amazing food & beer. It’s also a quirky city for public art and architecture. My dream vacation is a tour of all of the former Eastern Bloc countries.
