We just got back from a 2 week vacation in Istanbul, Turkey. We had a great time visiting the sites, taking in the culture, and seeing Ebru’s family again. It was the first time I met Bahadir, Ebru’s brother. He really made our trip because he took time to show us around and drive us from place to place.

I have so many pictures I don’t where to begin. I’ll start with this and the rest you can see in our Photo Gallery - Turkey Vacation 2008.

We spent most of our time in Istanbul, but we did take a side trip to Izmir. From there we visited Ephesus, Kusadasi, and the last known house of the Virgin Mary.

We really got to relax by hitting the beach, getting a massage, and even a Turkish bath. Now that was an experience!

Istanbul has so much culture and history it’s just unbelievable. Castles and mosques side by side with street vendors, apartments, and cafes.

Some of the most memorable parts of the vacation were unexpected, such as the 4:30AM prayer that was chanted over the city’s loud speakers, the city traffic, and just the overwhelming number of people in Istanbul. There are people everywhere. You can find almost anything from any street vendor.

Special thanks to Ebru and Bahadir for being the tour guides. They know the language and the area so it was a safe and pleasant trip overall.

We’ll now we’re back home to our peace in quiet in our own home and it feels great! I’m sure I’ll need a vacation from my vacation. As soon as I get settled, I’ll make my rounds.

Today after our walk with the Susan B. Koman crowd we got hungry and decided to go out to lunch.  Surprisingly, many families were celebrating Mother’s Day on Saturday.  It was kind of funny because 80% of the patrons were from the Breast Cancer walk just like us.

Survivors and supporters celebrated Mother’s Day with love and laughter.  Makes me wish everyday was Mother’s Day.  I’m sure it could be if we live in the spirit of love and appreciation for our mothers.

To my mom that passed 6 years ago, I wish her a great Mother’s Day!

For Ebru’s mom who is still with us, God bless and protect her and may she have a blessed day.

Last Monday, 5/5 we went out for some fun! We went to Mikuni’s Midtown Party in downtown Sacramento. It was busier than what we expected. As usual the food was good, the ambiance was uptown, and the entertainment was rockin.

We got there early and just walked up to the buffet line. No waiting. I filled my plate, but I think I stuffed myself. I was too tired to eat more to get my money’s worth, lol. It was the first time we’ve gone to this particular Mikuni’s. We’ve been to the one on Fair Oaks, Elk Grove, and at Arden Mall so going to the midtown location was a nice surprise.

They had live music, a fashion show, and raffle prizes. I took pictures with my camera phone, but they were all blurry. We were there for about two hours. I think I was getting comatose from eating all the sushi, oysters, and salad.

We got some t-shits and Mikuni coins for attending. Woo hoo!

I’m sure on a regular day it would be a nice place to bring a date. If you love sushi and are in the downtown area, they are definitely worth a visit.

Check out Mikuni’s website for more information.