My weekend started off with dinner for the birthday boys. Dad, Alf and Frank all have birthdays within a few days so we have wised up and are having a party for them the week before Christmas nowadays. We all met up at the pizza parlor and I said "Hi Mozelle, I love you" and she stuck her tongue at me then laughed. ha ha Terrible Twos or Just comedy? God she really is funny. Totally comical! Uncle Frank brought Grace. She is such a doll. Seems like she has always been a part of the fam even tho theyve just started dating a few months ago. She fits right in.
Mozelle didnt like poppa's Santa hat - as soon as she saw him she started balling! He had to take it off but before he did we were all cry laughing cuz it was so funny.
Me n mom. She looked so pretty. She always does, but Friday she was glowing. I think she is always angelic when we are altogether. She just gets so happy when the fam is all in one spot.
All 3 birthday boyz got sundaes. ha ha They look like Easy-Bake-Oven cakes. They were so little!
We were leaving the pizzeria and Kelis said "Im going home with Auntie"...........WHAT? Yep. Her first sleepover without her parents was at my house. My parents were so pist. ha ha We went to Jens, got Kelis's jammies on her and I brought her home. We watched Madagaskar and she was out by 1030! Slept all night. No problem! YIPPEEEEEE Big girl did great!
Keir and Kelis eating snacks and being cozy.
Saturday Keir and I got this lil homemade owl from Melissa! OMG it is the cutest thing ever. Thanks Mellie Mel Julep Head. We love it!Saturday afternoon Vic and I had made plans to meet up after a whole year of trying! We would make plans and something would always come up. Laguna is almost exactly half way for both of us so around 4 this was my view on the 101 just before pulling into the restaurant.
Its was crisp and sunny out. What a beautiful day. I felt like I was on vacation so I took the touristy vacation picture.
The view from the patio where I nabbed a killer seat along the ocean!
So glad we met up. It was 2 hours of catching up on each others lives - In person finally! Vic and I email and talk on the phone but its always nice to be able to sit across from someone and really have a conversation. We needed it! YAY - So that was the weekend. Sunday I slept in, went over to Pannikin and got some chili and a coffee and sat outside then headed to Senior Grubby's for the Charger game. We beat the bengals by 1 point. Close game! Ended the weekend perfect! Always nice when we win. he he Probably only one more post before I sign off til the new year. 3 days and a wake up til Cardiff!
Living in Encinitas has so many little gifts. Its a gorgeous sunny crisp morning and I got a good nights sleep! I was up at 5 and felt well rested. This is so rare I had to take advantage and get up and get my day going! I took a nice long hot shower, did make up, hair and picked up the house, made Keir toast with goat cheese, kissed her g-bye and made my way to Pannikin. ;-) Got my xtra large coffee and a breakfast sandwich. mmmmmmmmmmmm. Walking to the car I see this sign: "Life is like the waves.........You have to ride the ups and downs". How perfectly said.
I think the holidays are always a little difficult for me but this year has been a little lighter with Keir being home. Our little bungalow is always filled with music, incense, candles and we laugh constantly. She makes our home so warm and toasty that I love walking in after work to her on the couch, laptop on her lap, snuggled under a blanket, food and drinks everywhere, socks and shoes as I trip over them in the hallway, every light on in the house, teenage room a complete disaster................and I love it all. Having her home makes riding the ups and downs of life a heck of a lot smoother.
We've been doing a lot of art lately and I feel like I have finally found the style of painting I love. My friend Steve hears me talk about the art I do for friends and family and he is always wanting to see it. He is the king of amazing gifts so after racking my brain trying to figure out what to get the guy who has everything for Chirstmas - I decided to give him a piece of my lil creations. Im dropping it off to him today. Hope he likes it!
Thats all for now. Just a little quickie blog to keep up to date on the haps in my life. Pretty cool these days. Seven more days til Cardiff. Cant even begin to say how excited I am to camp for a whole week! Its gonna be cold but so fun!!!!!!! The clock is ticking...................Ciao for now!
Busy busy busy bee Ive been! Since Keir moved home several weeks ago it has been non-stop! But I love it ;-) Lots of great things have been happenin' ever since Keir moved home. She is getting straight A's. Met a nice guy (see pic above) Blake. She is so happy all the time and her lil sparkle in her eyes is back. We have been so happy and cozy at home. She has a curfew but remarkable as it is she hasnt been late - not even once! Home on time everytime!!!!! YES! We are having so much fun - the whole family is loving having her home - its so fun!
Annual tradition for Keir and I is to go get our tree. As promised we bought a lil tree again this year. Easy in the truck and no arguing! ha ha This year we even dragged poor Blake along. He didnt seem to mind - and we even got him to kinda enjoy it. ha ha a little anyways ;-)
Isnt it just the sweetest lil tree?Next up? Of course off to Islands for dinner! What would christmas tree shopping be without Islands afterwards? ha ha Cheers! Ok, now this is funny. The kid at the tree lot didnt cut off any branches so the dang tree wouldnt go in the stand. Blake was like OMG take it out again! 3rd time was a charm and we got it in and upright. That was funny. Thats me tightening the tree stand. Thanks Blake!
Sunday - Chargers vs Chiefs. WHOO HOO! Dad and I tailgated b4 the game. We parked under the trolly bridge so it was freezing. 2 spots over was in the blazing hot sun. Oh well. Pops brought out the ol skool Chargers Jackets and I was snug as a bug in a rug. Yippe!Killer seats or what? Hello! Right on the goal line! Hell YES! On my right is Marty from my office. He is the one who always give me tix to the games. Dang, never this close tho! Thanks Marty!
Had Jen, Kelis, Fawn, Karis, Lexi and Keir over for dinner the other night. Made yummi jerk chicken tacos and Jen made fresh salsa and guac. I'll spare Jenny by not posting the salsa pictures. My blender caught the cilantro in the bottom and it jammed. Jen went to pick up the blender and the salsa spilled out the bottom. All of it. Whups. No matter. We scooped it up and ate it anyways. EWE! But it was so good. Who cares. LOL
Our beautiful girls Keir and Kelis Jen and Kelis stayed for a sleepover and we had a girls night of painting our nails and taking pictures. SO FUN! This one Kelis took. Pretty darn good job for a 4 year old!
Look ma, no make up!
Well thats about it for now. Keir is goin' to her dads this weekend for the first time since she's moved home. Im already missing her just at the thought of it. Luckily I have my office holiday party Saturday so that will keep me busy! Stay tuned for new pics on Monday!
Last night Keir, pops and moms and I went to the premiere of
"The Drifter" at La Paloma.
(side note: that mustang in the picture is my moms - ha ha)
Rob Machado has been a hero of mine for a very long time. Ive said in past blogs how much I admire him, his surf style, his way of life.........last night seeing the movie, him playing music with his band and finally getting to shake his hand sealed the deal.
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Rob and his buddies have known each other for years. The funny thing was the music they played last night was written by the band members 15 years ago. Now here they were playing it at the La Paloma for all of us and in the movie "The Drifter".
Its amazing how music stays alive, waiting for the right moment to be heard....... After the movie their was a Q&A for the crowd. I loved hearing all of Rob's encounters and adventures. Its so incredible to me the amount of creative energy that exudes from Rob. Its like, yes, he is a surfer, father, friend, artist, but what the guy brings to life is his ability to create a new way of life or new way of living life and that energy is times a thousand when you get next to him. Pops couldnt see in the dark so this was our first attempt to get a shot with Rob. Keir is to my left. Sadly, not in the pic. Total bummer. One of my fav lines is
IF AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED - TRY TRY AGAIN..........
and that we did ;-)
I couldnt go home without this picture. Ive hoped for it for a long time. And although Ive seen Rob in person coming in from surfing suckouts in Cardiff many a time while Im on runs, Ive always wanted this picture - I guess I needed to be able to open a new chapter in my life knowing that the
"One day I hope I.........meet my hero Rob Machado"
has been accomplished. Its not something like a conquest or a starstruck thing. I really admire him and knew by shaking his hand and saying "Thank you" I would feel a sense of relief knowing I was able to look him in the eyes from one person to another with a thank you for how you've enriched my life. Dont ask me why I have this connection or had the need to do this. I still dont know. All I know is last night was awesome. The guy is a shredder in the water and when he caught that last stand up barrel in Indo I had to hold back the tears.
I think everyone in the audience "Drifted" with him.
The last camping trip of the summer. Off of work early, picked up Keir, met moms and pops off the freeway and headed up to Malibu. Traffic wasnt bad but my AC is still out so driving in 95 degree heat thru LA wasnt the greatest. But we put on some KOL and made the best of it. Jack in the Box stop helped. When Keir is hungry you have to FEED THE BEAST! ha ha Arrived in Malibu at 5 and this is our view. Straight out thru the palms and cactus is nothing but ocean.
Behind us are hills and palms.
Sunset Friday night then it was time for happy hour. Some Pearl Jam and we were all set. It cooled off just enough to put on sweaters and uggs so everyone was happy. Met a bunch of people and were up til midnight talking til we couldnt keep our eyes open. zzzzzzzzzzzzz time for bed. In the morning we headed to Paradise Cove for brunch. Its on the water and on the sand. LITERALLY! Had some killer food and drinks - If we had more time we would have rented a cabana and stayed all day for sure. Next time! Me n Keir ;-)After brunch we went to the campsite - got on the wifi and reserved tix for the Getty Villa and headed over. No rest for the wicked! sheeshIt was really amazing to see jewelry from 2000 years ago that we would wear today. So incredible. After the Getty moms and pops napped but we were wired so we chatted and listened to music and Keir broke out her camera and we laughed and took corny pics for an hour! What were we doing? We dont know..........were totally sleep deprived and delirious!OK, no resting! Now were off to meet my buddy Gary up at Malibu Wine for a super duper fast wine tasting (more like hurry and suck it down cuz we gotta roll tasting!) We had to rush cuz he was taking us across the street for a tour of his friends ranch. Calamigos Ranch. Um hello.
Driving thru the ranch. This is a real picture window - and those are really mountains! Beyond beautiful!!!! (dad being a nerd)
Now Keir
Biggest dork of all - ME!
Small villa within the ranch
We stopped in at Gary's benefit but we were all so tired we couldnt stay for dinner. We drove back down the mountain to the campsite and I made dinner in my lil trailer. My first dinner! YAY!!!! It was a great way to end the Summer. Next trip? Cardiff for Christmas - Cant beat that with a stick ;-)
My dad and I experienced the most amazing concert of our life compliments of Eddie Vedder's grandma. Without grandma Pearl, their would be no PEARL JAM. Luckily Grandma Pearl along with the idea of the band JAMMIN the name became Pearl Jam. October 9, 2009 will forever be etched in our souls. We got to the venue early. Had some dinner at the college cafeteria and sat in the grass people watching for hours. Little did we know the intense - high energy - amazing show we were about to enter into. Ben Harper opened and only 2 songs in all of a sudden we hear - dadadadadadada ...........and again..........dadadadadadada..........Ben was about to perform 'Under Pressure' by Queen. As he started to sing dad and I were overwhelmed and had no words. Suddenly I realized Eddie had joined him on stage to sing the song together. We werent prepared. All we could do is listen, sing and fight back the tears. It was so fucking cool. Pearl Jam came on almost immediately following Ben Harper. No hoopla or trying to be the band that comes on late. They just came right on out and killed it with CORDUROY. Every person in the arena was on their feet - screaming - dancing and thinking the same thing we were. Damn were glad we cancelled our trip - our dinner - our anything to be here. The entire concert (32 songs) was an experience of a lifetime. We weren't sure if it was the fact that we new every song, every lyric or every tune.........but with every word that came out - up came a memory that included Pearl Jam playing in the background. Driving to Mex back in the day, a warm summer day at home with all the windows open, whatever the memory it was all coming clear that Pearl Jam has been a big part of our lives. Scott and Rebecca were a brother and sister sitting behind us but not long after Pearl Jam came on stage did they hop over and join us in our row. They had just been to the show in LA and drove from Orange County for more. They really sealed the fun for the evening cuz they were just as huge of fans as we were. The more the merrier right? Hell YES!
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Their were so many little things that happened throughout the concert that we are still remembering moments that were beyond epic:
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~Eddie talking to the crowd about the day one of his roadies daughter LuLu was born and how just as they left the hospital it began to rain. His buddy had gone to sign off on the baby being released and his buddies wife was trying to put LuLu into the car. She couldnt do it with the baby in her arms so she handed her for Eddie to hold. He explained how the rain was falling as he cradled her in his arms......the feeling he had was overwhelming. "Well" he said, "16 years later - its LuLu's birthday, so LuLu come on up!" she came up on stage, they had a cake for her and 11,000 people sang her Happy Birthday as she blew out her candles.
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~Eddie talked about his life, his jobs, his bosses and how one boss in particular allowed him to work part-time and shave his head into a mohawk in order to be in a band. Now 20 years later he said thanks to his former employer who was in the audience. NO FUCKING WAY!
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~They thanked their first music instructors for all of their mentoring and brought up Matt Cameron's drum teacher and Eddie's guitar teacher. We all screamed and cheered but that wasn't the coolest part of it. They had them sit in and play a song for us! I mean cmon. How rad.
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~All the songs they played that we all know - Severed Hand, EvenFlow, Daughter, ReviewMirror, Why Go, Black, BetterMan, Alive.........it was all over the top. They had the crowd sing a lot and they interacted and the entire time we felt like we were experiencing something that us and only 11,000 others were experiencing on this night. Never to be repeated again. Chills chills and more chills every time the next song would start.
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After they had their 3rd encore the guitarist, Stone Gossard stayed on stage. The lights were up but we knew something big was about to happen. Why else would he be up there still?
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Jimi Hendrix 'Star Spangled Banner' began to play........I think me and dad bout' passed out from disbelief. Here is dad at attention for Jimi, for Pearl jam and for his country:
That was it. We gathered our things. Said our goodbyes to our new friends Scotty and Becca and started headin to the car. We realized not long after that we didnt exchange info so we could send them pictures. Total bummer.............but as luck would have it - in a crowd of 11,000 people exiting we ran back into them and were all so happy we were able to say bye again and give them dads card. Perfect ending to a perfect experience. Thanks grandma Pearl.........we'll never forget this.
Yesterday afternoon I was talkin with my friend Antonio. We were saying how awesome the weather was. Finally cooled off, little overcast..........it was almost the end of the day and all we wanted to do was get off work, get home and get cozy. Then we took it a step further and said WOW, wish it would rain and we both said dinner of wine & cheese with some great music sounded perfect! Well that was a pipe dream for me cuz I knew I had to go to the market and go for a run. Getting home and getting cozy just wasnt gonna happen. I wished it for him tho.
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Well Im driving home and I realize maybe I can make my lil daydream come true............
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I go to Henry's and get all the goodies for my dinner, race home, change and go on a run along Neptune. As Im running it begins to rain. WHAT? Yes! I was running but wanted to call Antonio and Be like um..........hello............this is crazy.......did we make this happen? Everyone I pass has the same look like "this is amazing" ..........Just then I look up and I see this:
I mean cmon. Am I in Leucadia or Maui? A rainbow? So friggin cool. On my way back I stop at SoneSteps to catch the sunset. After a long cranky day it was nice to start to feel the wear andtear I had been feeling slowly lift off my shoulders. Sunsets do this for me. Especially this one: After SonteSteps I think it cant get any bettter. WRONG! You probably cant see cuz this is my camera phone but this is a double rainbow:The closer I got to my house the more light I felt. The weight of the past 2 weeks were finally coming free. At the market I had bought all the fixins for Matbucha. With the weather it was a perfect night to stand over a pot of boiling goodness and I did just that!
With my matbucha simmering, Kings of Leon playing and candles burning I decided it was time to open my yummi lil find from Henry's:
Bohemian Highway Cabernet - I bought it cuz it was inexpensive and the the label of course! But low and behold it was absolutely delicious! Then I cut up all my cheeses and this was my dinner:
Is it my imagination or is Danish Blue Cheese the absolute most incredible cheese on the planet? Its melts in your mouth and I just cant get enough! Well 2 hours later my matbucha was done and I heated up a pita for a lil taste before bed. Viola! It was perfect!!!!!!!
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2 weeks ago Keir and I got in a little spat. Ruined our day together after a perfect mom and daughter weekend and I just couldnt get past it. I used every tool in my mind body and soul and just couldnt move on from it. I was holdin on tight! But thankfully a great conversation with Antonio and some wishes that we thought were impossible became possible and actually came true! My heaviness from the argument with Keir was finally lifted thanks to a great run, some rain, 2 rainbows, a sunset, Kings of Leon, great wine, beautiful lighting and some good ol SOUL FOOD. Deep breath..............in with the good.........deep breath out with the bad as my niece Kelis says......and we do it together..........deep breath in with the good.............deep breath out with the bad............and another day begins - filled with Love~Light~Laughter~Amen
Doesnt seem that long ago that we bought the trailer and headed straight out to Idyllwild. Well here we all are (minus Keir) back on the road and headin for a weekend of hiking, chillin, drinkin, eatin and R&R. This time I led the way with Mike and Meg following in their airstream. Everyone else was meeting us up there but we couldnt wait so we headed up early. The drive seemed much faster and instead of Keir and I jammin' to some Bob Marley I played Kings of Leon over and over til I got to the campgrounds. It was amazing how all of their songs seemed to be written just for me. ha ha I LOVE THE BROTHERS! The first night we got there, set up and Meg made a delicious lasagna. WOW was it amazing. She should really open a restaurant. In the morning we got up early and headed for a hike. Had to get the shot of Lily Peak of course ;-) Back from the hike and it was nice to come and get in the trailer. I really love my home away from home. I hope Im not getting to used to being on the road......... We were all taking siestas after Mike's killer chile egg breakfast and screwdrivers (ah hem, yes after our hike we drank screwdrivers - not very healthy but hey were on vacation!) when my umbrella decided to take a hike!!!!!!! The wind picked it up out of its stand and right past my ear and way way way down into a gully. My dad went to go grab it (their was no wind at this point) but he proceeded to pretend like he was the hero of the day and holding on for dear life from the north wind. Not true. But we all laughed anyways....... Then of course it was jacked. All the guys came over to look at it and I was laughing cuz all 3 husbands were all under my lilteenie $20 palapa as if it were worth millions and needed to be fixed immediately. Nerds. Saturday we all went into town to go to Jo'Anns for lunch. Too bad Jo'Anns is closed for the month of September. Note to self on that one. But everyone got my peace flag so all 4 trailers had my flag. It was kinda cool as you are walking past. Looks like hippy central. Cool man.
Pam and her husband Tony did their trailer all 60's. So awesome! Pam and mom modeling the cool vintage screen.
Inside its just the coolest. They even had stencils made for the walls and one wall says "if youre going to San Francisco" "Be sure to wear flowers in your hair"...........awe. So sweet. One of my all time favorite songs. Thanks for the great tacos youre about to serve me...........Pam and Tony made us all a killer taco night for our last night.........Everyone is up chatting and helping and I was just sitting there like I was some princess or something.........well dang it...........I had just showered and didnt want to get all yukki.......ha ha........Thanks again everyone! Great conversations, great food, great wine and a great group of really fun people. Cant wait to do it again!!!!!!!!
Its been a busy couple of weeks! Time has been flyin' by so fast I cant keep up!!! I think its the whole "End of summer" thing. Camping, dinners, family..........I finally had a moment of peace and quiet last night around 7pm. Lit every candle in the house, all the windows and doors open, had some incense burning and took a deep breath................
Last weekend the wholllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee family went to Guajome Lake for Labor Day! Our pop up with Keir and Kelis blowin bubblesFinally sittin down after a long weekend of cooking, heat, fun, food, and fam
Jen n mom makin breakfast Saturday morninAlf and KelisPops, Mozelle and Kelis on a nature walk
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On Thursday, after 4 longggggggggggggg years, Keir got her braces off!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO crazy to see her without braces............so shiney! Gorgeous lil baby o mine ;-)
Yesterday Keir and I volunteered at Life Rolls On for THEY WILL SURF AGAIN - Awesome Day!GREEN TEAM - One of our surfer's for the day - RUTHIE!
Green Team - waiting for our next surferGreen Team in the water with US OPEN Expression Session surfer with SCI - Keith catches a killer ride - Such a great day
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Ended it by stoppin' off at the new Casa de Bandini in Encinitas and meeting moms and pops for a quick drink and we had Keir serenaded with Guantanamera...........
So thats the past couple of weeks in a nutshell - I love my life ;-)
Carpinteria or bust. Well it was anything but a bust. It was a BLAST! The drive up alone was less scary than I imagined. The trailer pulled super smoothe for the most part and until I got to the 101 I was totally fine. Once I hit the Ventura Freeway I played the family tradition song "Ventura Highway" by America. While Im in the car singin' away I was thinkin - wow - I did it. I conquered my fear of driving long distances alone! Then I really got into it and played the song 5 more times! haahaa My folks called and said it was a little tuff to find the campground so to call when I was exiting. I was on such an I DID IT high I gave it the ol college try and found the campground no problem. So I surprised them and pulled up to their site unannounced! tee hee
We took a walk around the campground to get the lay of the land and just then it was time for Happy Hour! I just jammed and got the trailer set up and raced over to my folks site for apps and cocktails! We had some great conversation and caught a gorgeous sunset. Just what I had hoped for. ;-)
Saturday morning I was up early and took a beach walk. Its really beautiful. Carpinteria is a natural site for tar and it seeps from the cliffs as you walk along the ocean. Its incredible. We went into town, had breakfast then headed over to Santa Barbara for Santa Barbara Wood. Afterwards we hit the Santa Barbara Winery (another tradition) then over to the Indian bazaar that I love off State Street. I got a couple awesome tapestry's for the trailer and my most favorite incense! Then pops said he had a little treat for us in Montecito. He walked us down a trail to the ocean. It was a spot called Butterfly Beach where he and his buddies first camped during a surf trip back in 66'. The street to the beach is called Butterfly Lane.
Thanks for taking us here dad. That was really beautiful and made the day nostalgic.
Got back to the campsites and by the time I put on a hat mom had our apps and vino all set up! She is the master camping hostess with the mostest!
Cheers!
Here are some shots of the trailer. Its my new home away from home.
Although we took er' out the day we got er' I felt like this was the real 'Maiden Voyage'. It gave me a new sense of what life is all about. Its about packin up, headin out and havin the life you love. I am amazed alot lately. I really am. I woke up on Monday after the weekend away and just thought to myself.........Wow girl. You are really lucky. I sure am.
Ive been missing the ocean the past couple of weeks.....
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Been dealing with several very unpleasant house repairs ~ YUK ~ Putting the finishing touches on my pop up in order to get ready for a TON of upcoming summer adventures ~Raising a teenager ~ Connecting with friends & family ~ Running into unexpected car repairs ~ And now finally realizing I have not touched my feet to sand in weeks
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Today I have finally finished with all of my chores and can kick back and enjoy all of my efforts
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Ive been feeling like I have a lot on my plate but something has been telling me to give back ~ do more for others
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So a few weeks ago I joined forces with They Will Surf Again
I wanted to do something with the ocean and luckily I found TWSA
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I know Dave Rastovich, Rob Machado and Donovan Frankenreiter have been big influences on me over the years and I have great admiration for how they live their lives
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Their surf style, music, and activism
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Hopefully I can rally one of them to join me on September 13th in La Jolla for the next TWSA event ~ The kids would love it! Im looking forward to getting out in the water and helping others enjoy what I love so much....SURFING!
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My all time favorite guys
Dave RastovichDave RastovichDave RastovichRob Machado
Rob Machado
Donovan Frankenreiter
Donovan Frankenreiter
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Admiration ~ Adoration ~ Appreciation
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~My heros~
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Now I need to get off here and go stick my feet in the ocean and watch the sunset with my family and rejuvenate ;-)
How cute are Plumsie and Shug-gah? They are so fun!!!!!!!! After beachin it all day I met up with the fam for some grub. I always love when Kelis says "Auntie you comin' to my house?" She says it whenever we part ways. Love her. Kelis throwin' a hang loose sign for me to email to her momma in Maui!
Life is too short to wait around for fun stuff to come my way - so Im making my own fun! I got a kayak yesterday, went up to paddle sports in Carlsbad and bought a life vest (of course its lavender with butterflies all over it) and was ready to give it a go.
Ive kayaked a few times while on vacations. A few times in Manzinillo, Mexico and once in Ka'anapali, Maui. Thing is, you have the resort guys that set you all up and all you do is sit in it and they push you out into the calm surf. Ha ha - not so much when you're doin' it on your own as a sport!
Jen and Alf are on vacation so moms and pops are watchin the girls. They all went to Cruise Night in downtown Encinitas last night, so on my way to kayak I stopped and we all went to Giovanni's for dinner then they met me at Cardiff reef to watch me kayak.
The kayak weighs 50lbs so its a lil awkward takin it off the top of my truck. Then I had to manhandle it a bit to be able to carry it properly to the water. Once at the shore Kelis and Mozi immediately wanted in "the boat" as they called it. So friggin cute! I taught Kelis water safety by putting the life jacket on her (even tho she didnt go out in the water).
Lil Mozi is just the sweetest lil girl. She is always holding Kelis's hand and they are constantly huggin on each other. I mean cmon'...........can they be any sweeter? Melts my heart.
So I waved g'bye to the Plumsie and Suggah and off auntie went into the surf. Waves are bigger when you get out there. Luckily Ive done it enough times and knew what to do. Basically paddle your ass off til youre out past the surf!!!!! Pretty simple. LOL
Got out, waved at the fam and then paddled over to the surfers at suckouts. Surfers and kayakers arent friends so of course they completely ignored me. I knew enough to stay on the outside in the event that one of them was trying to catch a wave. Even the standup paddle boarder guy ignored me. I guess kayakers and stand up paddle boarders arent friends either!
Once I get out on a regular basis I will force them to be friends with me. ha ha
Other than being a little scared, since I was out their alone, it was amazing. The water was crystal clear and the sun was shining on the ocean. It was really quiet out there all alone. I came in once said bye to the fam then went back out and paddled back over to suckouts.
When I came in the second time the waves had picked up so it was a little hairy. I had to lay down flat on my back in order to ride the waves in without tipping over the kayak. It was an adrenaline rush and really fun. I got cooled off by the surf and got some exercise. Mission accomplished ;-)
Oh, and when I came in my pops had stayed behind to help me with the kayak in case I needed him. He watched as I loaded it and he helped me get it all secured with the tie downs. I think I could've pulled it off alone but it was nice to know that if it was too hard, pops was there to save the day.
Got home and unloaded it, washed it down and its sleeping in the garage now. Lovin the summer life! Hope this weather holds up for a couple more months so I can get good and maybe join a club and meet some people that like to kayak all the time. It was fun doin' it alone but it would be fun to have people to talk to and I think I would go further too. I was a bit of a baby and didnt go very far from shore. ha ha! Oh and when I bought the vest the owner was telling me how all the kayakers meet up at Humphrey's at the Bay for concerts! They all secure to one anothers kayaks then watch concerts from the water. I would love that!!! Yippee more fun stuff to PLAN!
Yesterday I watched a small bird, flying very fast, disappear into the canopy of an oak tree. So dense were its leaves that it was impossible to see what happened next, though I can tell you it remained inside.
* I wondered how the little bird found its opening through the leaves at such a speed, and then managed to gently align its fragile body on the branch it chose to land upon, all within a fraction of a second. Not to mention the impossible to imagine flying maneuvers required: the banking, the curling, the vertical and horizontal stabilization's, the deceleration and landing. Memory? Calculation? Not in that tiny brain. Instinct? Maybe, but how does instinct know which way the branches of a tree have grown when no two are the same? * That little bird just knew. It had faith, in spite of not being able to see how things would work out, that if (and only if) it stayed the course the details would be taken care of; that an opening would appear and a twig would be found. In fact, had she slowed down enough to carefully and logically inspect the tree first, the prudent thing to do, she would have lost her lift and fallen to the ground. * Kind of like reaching for your dreams. Neither memory, nor calculating, nor instincts are the deciding factors, but faith coupled with action. ~Tallyho, The Universe * Well, this message came this morning. Fitting eh? * I feel like the universe has given me yet another confirmation that I am going in the right direction. That direction being FORWARD!I have to trust in myself, who I am, all I know and be okay with where I am. And where I am is just where I am. The universe, God and Destiny are all in alignment. Deep breath. It will all work out. Not how I imagine.
Just how it is supposed to. * So I got the trailer Friday and Ive already got 3 camping trips lined up!!!!!!!!!!!! HA! We had a great time in Idyllwild. We drove up, got a lil lost, but got there by 6, set up and were bbq-in by 8 ;-) * (side note) Backing up on the setting up - Melissa will love this one: * So moms and pops are setting up the Airstream and Keir and I are dealing with the Pop Up. She is unloading the truck and Im setting up the pop up. We get it all organized and she is handing me the bedding. I fix my side all up - eazypeazy.
Then I go to put her side altogether.............um yea.........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (thats me screaming!) we didnt put the stabilizers under the left side of the trailer so when I went to the far side of Keirs side and.......... whhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwba-bonk..............down it went. Well its pitch black and I had feared the trailer rolling down the cliff earlier, so when the trailer tipped, I just pictured bedknobs and broomsticks - if you've ever seen the movie as a kid - the bed goes flying something like this - minus the smiley faces!SOOOOOOOOOOOIm face down inside the trailer, holding on for dear life, not moving a muscle, meanwhile, Keir is hysterically laughing, dad is stunned and crying he is laughing so hard and mom is laughing and saying "Where is my camera!" and Imthinkin...........someone put a rock under the front wheel or Im going off the cliff...........once I move the whole trailer goes ba-bonk the other way, dad says "Come on out, its fine" and I come out of the trailer and first thing Keir says is "That shudda been on YOUTUBE". Well Im just happy to have amuzed everyone. LOL * That was it. All the excitement for the evening. Perfect. Glad to have been of service. ;-) * Saturday dad and I hiked while mom and Keir played board games. The hike was pretty steep but really fun After we hiked, pops and I came back and we all went into town. Pizza was on the menu but when we got to the pizza place we knew that wasnt what we all had in mind. It was in a funky old parking lot and indoors. Um Nope. Wasnthappnin'. The town is all on one street so we drove around and found Jo'Annes. Outdoor lil place with live music playin. um hum. Perfecto! Then we walked around town, went to the market, stopped in an antique store then back to the campsite for naps. HA! We were pooped! We had some snacks, listened to some music but really did a whole lotta nothing all afternoon til it started getting dark and we grilled out again ;-) Sunday morning we were up early
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Top-O-The-Mornin'
except Keir - teenagers love to get themselves some sleep! Once 'sleeping teen' was up - we started packin it up and headed home...........it was the first weekend in our new trailer and it went off without a hitch - well except for me almost flying thru the air off the cliff ;-) Now the trailer is home and next up is getting it ready for some upcoming trips. We decided the trailer theme will be
- The Endless Summer -
So when you see a trailer being pulled down the highway that is painted like this:Throw us the "Hang loose" sign cuz Keir and I will be traveling to some summer destination wishing you were all with us!
I got it! I got it! I got it! Its older than dirt, but I got it! Its a 1987 StarCraft tent trailer. No more sleeping in a tent on the hard ground!!!!!!!! Its in killer condition, has 2 queen size beds, a stove, a sink and a huge dining table! This thing is so cool I cant stand myself!
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I packed the car up last night and am at work today all ready to go. I had a vibe to call the seller just to check if he is back from his vacation.
Sure enough he answers and said come get it!
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My dad blazed over to my work, jammed up to San Clemente and my dad totally wheeled and dealed with the seller and we got it for so cheap. WHAT A STEAL!
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So were headin' for the mountains this weekend and I was all set to camp in my tent.
NOT!!!!
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Now I'll be all cozy in my pop up! Anyone wanna buy a tent? ;-)
What a weekend! After a week of an enormous life shift, I was ready for some R&R. And that's just what I got.
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Off from work early on Thursday and headed straight to the beach for a bbq and sunset with the family. It is so fun to be driving down the 101 and see my parents Airstream and the palapa umbrella. (Its their signature umbrella - can't miss it!) The sun popped out just long enough to grille up some teriyaki hamburgers with swiss cheese and pineapple. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm a little macaroni salad and the sun was just about to set. Why is this so amazing to me after 40 years? I dunno, but I sure love it. The sun setting on the ocean always brings me back to life in tuff times. *
Friday I slept in, got a nice long bath, messed around the house a lil then it was time to SPA. With my birthday gift card - I took myself to The Four Seasons for a day of some seriously needed pampering. Lord. Was it needed. Got an 80 minute all organic facial. All of the products were from the ocean. Soothing beyond my imagination. With my hands in paraffin wax, my shoulders were massaged and my facial was my chest, neck and face all at once. A light mist of steam trickling down.........I am sure I dozed off a few times. Absolutely let go.
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After my facial I headed out to the "Tranquility" pool. Hello. I dont know if I've ever seen a more elegant pool.
I ordered a chicken quesadilla and a glass of chardonnay. This was my view:
I slept on and off and sunned from 130 to 530. What an awesome day!
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Saturday was the 4th. Packed my backpack, hopped on my bike, grabbed some chips and beers and headed to the beach. Oops, backup. My tires were completely flat (need a bike pump) so I had to stop at 7-11 to fill up. After riding a lil ways I also realized its time to get a bike basket. I pretty much crushed all of my dads Fritos with the beers. LOL
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The fam was camped again in the Airstream at ponto so I battled the crazy out-of-town-traffic down the 101 and made it safely to the beach. SHEESH! As I pulled up to ponto the crowds were all nuts. Families were parked in every nook and cranny possible. I've never seen anything like it. A man was pist off at another man and he went over to his big giant beer bellied buddy and they both came over to the other man together. OMG they were fighting over a parking spot! I looked back once then just kept riding. Too intense for me to deal with such anger on a gorgeous sunny holiday weekend. Hope they worked it out.
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Sat under the palapa all day and got some great sun. Went in the water a couple of times and then whipped up some chicken teriyaki kabobs and mom made a rad summer salad! mmmmmmmmmmm - Clouds were comin over so after we bbq'd I hopped back on my bike and rode home. It was too cloudy in Encinitas to see the fireworks but I could hear them over at Aviara. ;-) Killer day!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sunday. Was up at 7. Why? I dunno know. Woke up, it was sunny, I had energy so I rolled with it. Got up, cleaned the house, went to breakfast, then decided to drag my folks all over Oceanside in search of a bike basket. he he FOUND IT!
Now I can ride to the farmers market on Sundays, grab some flowers and fresh fruit and ride back without crashing! Dad got it all set up for me and I was ready for a ride.
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Mom went to grab grandpa Buddy to get him out of the house and I finished doin' some stuff at my place. Around 230 we met up over at a little pub in Leucadia "Uncle Dukes". Grandpa needed some fun so we put some Elvis and Johnny Cash on the jukebox and got gramps a bud and some chips and we had the best time. We even did a little waltz to Folsom Prison Blues. It was so fun to have a lil dance with my 88 year old grandpa. He said he really enjoyed gettin out and asked if we could do that more often. Awe. Lil grandpa.
We've all had our ups and downs in life now haven't we? Some more than others. What has been ringing true to me lately is we're all in this together. I'm on my path, you're on yours. But in the end, the more we can help one another the easier life seems. So if that's true why is it so hard to ask for help? When things seem to veer off my path of happiness, little voices ring in my ears. "Just get it done" "Make it happen" "You can do it" "You don't need anyone's help""Don't burden anyone" and so on. I decided to ask for help and in the past few weeks I have been digging deep into my soul. With that have seemed to have stirred up some interesting stuff that needed to be addressed. Things that have plagued me my whole life. Made me angry, sad, fearful, insecure and have left me paralyzed in many situations that most people would just blow off and say "Well that was so and so's fault" or "Its not me, its him, her or them" .
Well. The truth is. It is high time I face myself in the mirror and recognize that person or those people I blame for making me feel this way or that way is ..........ME.
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I have decided to accept responsibility for my own actions in my life. How I talk to people, treat people and how I proceed from here on. Yesterday was the first day where I woke up knowing their was an elephant in the room that I could no longer ignore. The elephant in the room is my past. Lemme tell ya.........Its one big fucking elephant! So I see it now and as of yesterday I am facing it head on. Not trying to go around it, above it or over it. Just face it. By saying "IT" I am saying its time to face MYSELF.
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This is unchartedterritory for me. Ive taken seminars, read countless, and I mean countless books on self help etc, had counseling and talked so many friends ears off I am surprised they can still wear earrings! With all of the help and work I believed I had done on myself what I didn't realize was I was working on more obvious things or rather things that were EASILY worked on from the surface. But to really feel good about myself and who I am I had to take measures to dive deeper and drum up the muck.
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What's made me recognize most of this is that in a few days I'll be turning 40, my daughter is about to turn 16 and I've met someone that is worth me taking at look at who I really am. He's made me want to be a better person. When he and I re-connected a few months ago I was so sure I was in a great place in my life. I swore up and down that I am not one of those crazy chicks full of drama, baggage or whatever else all chicks seem to feed off of.
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HA! Was I wrong. I've realized so much about myself these past weeks that it was hard to not see that I am far from finished with my so called WORK on myself. The WORK is just beginning. I guess life is always a work in progress. (Maybe I should make a shirt that says that!) So I'm turning 40, Keir is turning 16 and I have a great guy in my life that deserves to be treated with kindness, love and respect.
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This is where I begin my new path. Today I give myself a brownie button for taking this step in the right direction.
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I know the work ahead will be hard, uncomfortable at times and a little scary but I'm ready and willing to do the work so I can live in the present moment. My gift to myself is acceptance. Acceptance of where I am today. Ive begun a new journey. On a path filled with pretty trees, plants, flowers and hope. I have proved I am a survivor and I take ownership of my emotions, intentions and truth. I see the elephant and today he seems a little smaller than yesterday. Hopefully everyday he is shrinking until one day the elephant is no more.
Yesterday I sat in my backyard looking up at the sky. I was asking God and the universe for guidance, clarity, strength, hope and whatever else the two of them could come up with for me. You know what was answered back? A light breeze, birds singing and a lil sunlight peeking thru the clouds. This has always been the answer when I ask questions. The breeze, sun, singing.......they are all there to remind me to surrender to my own mind. Step out. Let life be life. Im not in control. Im just here to live, love and laugh. Live the best life. Be the best mother, daughter, sister and lover I can be. Be gentle with myself. Be happy that I am healthy! I was remembering a few months ago when my health wasnt so good. All the tests. Monitors. Doctor visits. It was not that long ago! Going to sleep for weeks wondering......"Am I dying?" - "Will I wake up tomorrow?" ......And now just months later......Im healthy and all of those health issues are gone. So living the best life to me means BE HAPPY TO BE HEALTHY AND ABLE TO LIVE! Love with my whole heart. Be open. Help others in need. Laugh. Mostly to laugh. Laugh at myself. How serious I am. Why am I this way you ask? Conditioning. A lifetime of being conditioned to BE THE BEST. Being the best at everything is all consuming. Years ago I gave up that thinking but recently have forgotten to get back to that place of laughing at myself. Let go of the conditioning and remind myself to STOP-LOOK-LISTEN not just to my own inner voice but of those around me who love me and want only my true happiness. The air around me has been cloudy of late. But today I surrender. I surrender to thinking I am the all seeing eye. This, I am not. I am just a simple girl. Living a simple life. Loving my daughter, family friends. Thanking God and the universe for giving me a job that keeps a roof over my head, gas in my car, light in my home and food on my table. For my destiny leading me to a man who has challenged me to see out side of myself and to be open to whatever our journey together brings. So again, I surrender. Surrendering has never been easy for me. I like things in order. Ship shape. Easy. Basic. Drama free. But luckily for me and those around me. Nowadays I find peace when I surrender. When I let go. Today, I am letting go..............
There is a song by The Carpenters called 'Close to You'..............'Close To You' was released in late May of 1970 and within six weeks was Number one. Its been a song that we all sing in our family and my mom sings it to me and I have always sang it to Keir. Here are some of the lyrics: On the day that you were born The angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue Why do stars fall down from the sky Every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be Close to you Everytime the song comes on..... I want to squeeze Keir and tell her how much I love her. She is just the most amazing daughter a mom could ever begin to dream of. I believe the angels brought her to me. Over the weekend we spent time with my nieces, her cousins of course, and the whole time we were at the park I just couldnt stop snapping pictures of Keir. She is such a natural beauty and sparkles from the inside out. Her eyes are so blue sometimes I can stop staring at them. Good thing she doesnt mind too much.
Keir is so special. She is so smart, kind, considerate, fun, funny and loving. Im constantly amazed at what a wonderful child she has always been. Even when she was little, like 4 or 5, she would dress up in my clothes and pose and be funny or I would be playing a cd and she would learn the lyrics and then ask for that song to be played so she could put on a show for me and sing.
All of her inner beauty make her a beautiful person on the outside. What I love most about her is how she always has a smile and I was just remembering when I taught her to ride her bike with her training wheels on when were living in la jolla. I bought her a barbie helmet. She put it on and was peddling all around the pool of our complex and I can still see the smile on her face as I took her picture. Its just like the one you see above. I love that about her.
Sometimes the candid pictures of Keir are the best. When she doesnt know youre watching her. In this picture above she was pushing Kelis and Mozelle on the swings and all I could think is wow.....................she is just stunning. Absolutely stunning. I love her style too. Some teens dont have a style just yet. They havent really figured out what they like or dont like. Keir has this really awesome bohemian style of funky tops, cool jewelry and hippy shoes or uggs. ha ha I love it. Im always so in awe when we shop together and she finds the coolest stuff.
Not only is she just this beauty, she gives her heart and soul to her family. She loves all of us and always wants to hang with us and take lil road trips, camp, go to breakfast or just sit with us and chat. I just feel so lucky to have a teenager that is so into family and loves life and lives to the fullest and the happiest she can everyday. She gets the meaning of 'Stop and Smell the Roses'
When youre as awesome of a kid as Keir is you attract cool people to you. I talked to Keirs school counselor today and she said she loved that Keir is so special and hip but she hangs out with kids that maybe arent the coolest or the most popular. Keir chooses friends that are TRUE FRIENDS and she sticks close to them. Like George. (Pictured above) Keir has been friends with George since 7th grade. We have spent time with his family and he with ours and we really cherish that Keir has stayed so close to him.
Well I guess Ive had a long overdue brag session! Most of my friends have little ones and I get to hear about how they are walking, talking, eating, what their poop looked like last night, that they are off the boob, not having a pacifier at bedtime anymore etc.........I just needed to say to all ya all...............I have the best daughter I could have ever dreamed and Keir.........if you read this.........just know.....
On the day that you were born The angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue
Why do stars fall down from the sky Every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be Close to you................I love you muffin. Love, Mom
Left Encinitas at 4 and got to the game by 630. Not to shabby. Got off on Pico and whipped right into Lot 1 and into the Staples Center like champs! Up 2 flights and into B-15 VIP box. SWEET!
Grabbed ourselves some yummi apps and an Amstel and we were good to go! OH YEA!
Jack having a little convo before the game starts. The Lakers are winning, beers are cold, Jen and I are havin a blast but really we were just biding out time waitin for the big screen to pan on this guy:Sittin next the where the players are standing in the White t-shirt and white ball cap is none other than LL Cool J. We could see his diamond chunks (as Jen called them) all the way up in the VIP box! He would move or turn and they were blinding!!!!! Finally just after the 3rd quarter they panned on LL and kept the camera on him for a while. The crowd went crazy. Jen and I sat in silence. He did his signature lip lick and that was bout that.
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Back on the road, 5 was closed, detour thru Long Beach, back on the 710 and onto the 5 and home in 1.5. Thats what Imtalkin' bout.
We did it! We went to Monterey! WHOOHOO! Mom and I headed out at dawn on Friday and the entire road trip was incredible! We had the best time and it was non-stop fun! We only had one lil mishap.................it looked a little something like this: We were passing thru Irvine and I noticed the car next to us must have hit the car in front of him cuz their was smoke and his front end was completely pushed in. Just then mom slammed on the brakes!! Her car is so gnarly we didnt even feel the car going from 70 to a stop! Smoke everywhere, cars hitting each other behind us, screeching and she sees another car about to hit us from the rear side..............she throws it into drive and in 1 second we were outta there! No one hit us but she could see everything going on behind us and she said "should we stop?" I said "NO! GO GO GO!" and we got the flock outta there! She was still shaking and realized she had so much adrenaline she was about to pass out. She started seeing stars so I began fanning her with a magazine.............after a few minutes of laughing, crying and giving a special thanks to moms NASCAR driving skills we made it out without a scratch. Miracle one.
We figured after that incident we were golden. So we continued on our journey up north. WHEW!
We got to Santa Barbara and decided to stop for brunch and a celebration of being alive with a mimosa ;-)
We had yummi egg white omlettes at Shell Cafe' and then jumped back on the highway of death. ha ha
As we made our way we had chips and ranch dressing and that was it all the way to Monterey. Our GPS navigation system was working but we kept not believing it and called our hotel from time to time. Sure enough still 2 hours away. How is that possible? Seemed like we had been driving forever!
Off the 101 and exit Sanborn. FINALLY! Now we're on 68 and heading into the MontereyPeninsula. Lord almighty! 7 straight hours of driving!!!!!We arrive at the Lighthouse Lodge and just like the brochure said..........1/2 block to the beach! Incredible. Well. Their is a catch. See below video:
All we could do is pour a glass of wine and get over it! We have beautiful deer to our right and just beyond several folks who are no longer living is the gorgeous ocean! Hey the hotel is free so we wont complain! ;-) The show must go on!!!!
We gathered our bearings and headed into town. Parked front row and went into Scheid for a wine tasting. We really just wanted a glass but they didnt do "by the glass" so they were super nice and showed us where to go. Well none of those places were cozy looking so we walked back into Scheid. The girl was so nice she said......."How bout I just give you 4 tastings of the same wine?" Hip hip hooray! YES! The decor was warm and inviting and we sat next to the fireplace and sipped our chardonnay. The manager came up and gave us an extra tasting of the RESERVE as we chatted with him about the building and the town. We told him we were going to the Sardine Factory for dinner and he said "OH well if you buy wine here there is no corking fee there!" Well that was an easy sale. ;-) *MOM*
ME*
We laughed and took these pics like this on purpose and all night we would look at the pics back and forth and roll laughing that we look alike and say MOM now ME - MOM now ME - MOM now ME over and over. Maybe you had to be there but we thought it was hilarious!
We went to the Sardine Factory after our tasting and had Steak and Salmon and just so happened to be seated in the most gorgeous seat in the house. The Conservatory.
Our dinner and service were incredible. This is all DAY 1!
In the morning we got up, I grabbed us breakfast from the continental breakfast bar and we headed to 17 Mile to take the coastal drive to Pebble Beach for lunch. :-) First we have to grab gas and cash. We stop in town and as we make a U-turn and are driving to the bank I realize.........Did I just see what I thought I saw? "MOM TURN AROUND!" She whips a U-ie and we pull up to this church:
Of course we stopped. Said a prayer. Got choked up. Then continued on in amazement.
The drive to Pebble Beach is beautiful. The scenery is like nothing youve ever seen. Huge trees and forest with the ocean peeking thru. We got to the Pebble Beach Lodge and were seated directly overlooking the 18th hole! Miracle 2.
As we were leaving Pebble Beach a man asked if we were going to Carmel. We hadnt really thought much about it but he gave us a map and said its literally 5 minutes from here. Um ok, duh...........so off we went! Got into Carmel, bought some t-shirts, walked around a little then headed back to Pacific Grove/Monterey.
We stopped at the butterfly sanctuary which..........big surprise...........just happened to be a block from our hotel! Thousands of butterflies.................So beautiful. Afterwards we drove back into Monterey, had a little bite to eat then over to Bargetto for a wine tasting. They were so nice there and we just totally enjoyed all the great service. We each bought a bottle. YAY!
As you can imagine, by now, we are pooped! We think we are going to go to the hotel and nap then head back out for dinner. What troopers we are. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got to the hotel. Put on the fireplace. Watched a movie and ordered in. HE HE All of this was DAY 2!
Ok..............last day.............Wake up, shower, pack and off we go! Hop onto HWY 1 for a beautiful stroll home down the coast to San Diego. (Im laughing as I write this) Um............HWY 1 is anything but a stroll. Beautiful yes. But a stroll? No. Its a 2 lane HWY on a 200 foot cliff with no barriers! My worst nightmare! Well I tried to be brave and enjoy it but it was not easy. Mom did great. She was fine and wanted to go 80 in a 40 zone but I would scream and tantrum til she slowed down. yes, Im a brat. But to me it looked like this will be us soon:
Minus the boat but this is how I envisioned us if Dannikadidnt slow down!
We started seeing restaurants and rest stops that said Big Sur. Oh...............we said............we must be in BIG SUR! Hi we're blonde! We kept seeing places to stop but werentfeelin it. Finally we came around a tight bend and mom said "Here?" "Yes!" I said. We ended up at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn. Its been there since the early 1930's and is now a historical landmark. As we ate our brunch we asked to hear the story of the Inn. The owner brought us several books to go thru. To our surprise and bewilderment the one place we pick was built and owned by a Norwegian man named HelmuthDeetjen. We pick the one place owned by a Norwegian. Again. We're choked up. We ate and talked and realized............hey we need to get back on the road! Here is the Big Sur Inn:
All the photos of Helmuth over the years are in the background - Sunlight on my pretty mom
Our awesome window table overlooking the pine trees and flowers outside:-)
Well.............after breakfast we hopped back on the 1 and headed to Paso Robles, up the 46 to HWY 101! Sidenote: (HWY 46 is the wine country row......how we ended up on it is just a twist of fate) We stopped at Laetitia Vineyard for our picnic and that was all she wrote. Literally! We jammed back to San Diego and made it home by 615pm. Record time thanks to KT aka. Dannika Patrick! Mom, that was a great trip. So many memories. I love you, Ang
I am partial but I happen to think I have the prettiest momma ever! Saturday mom picked me up at 11 (ON THE DOT!) and we drove out Del Dios HWY to HernandeazHideawy. mmmmmmmmmm we had Margaritas and brunch. HA! Who cares its almost summer!
Hernandez Hideaway is a little Mexican restaurant out in the middle of no where but it is so yummi! This is a pic of the restaurant and some cute workers sittin out havin a beer. Course I made them wave! ;-) Lake Hodges.............not a bad way to spend a Saturday huh? We had some time to kill before we were meetin up with pops so we mozied out yonder to Orfila Vineyard! A little browsing and a quick glass of their Award Winning Chardonnay we were back on our way! Jammin to some Eric Clapton..............wind blowin..............what an awesome day! After 2 failed attempts at restaurants that had closed down.......we ended up at Joes' Crabshack, window table, overlooking the harbor in Oceanside. WOW. The luck-o-the-Trulson's!!!! Thanks for a great day mom and pop. Im a lucky girl! XOXOXO
How fun to still love live music as much as I do. I still check venues regularly around town to see whose playing and whats happening that I may want to do. Well it just so happens on Monday around 2pm Im listening to 102.1 KPRi and they announce Donavon Frankenreiter is playing at the Belly Up. Excuse me!!!!!!!!!!!!! At the Belly UP? 5 miles from my house? OMG. I checked the website calendar and sure as shit. He's playing Monday and Thursday...............both shows
SOLD OUT! Son of a bitch. Since I work with all the biggest players in the media industry I start askin around if we have any connections with Belly Up. I got a big fat NO from everyone. Dammit. One of my buddys said call and see if they released any more tickets. I did. They had just released 2 tix. As I had KAT on hold at the box office Im thinking to myself...........well who in the hell am I gonna go with? DER! So I hang up. That evening I was talkin with my buddy Sonny and he was into going THUR to the show. He can get tix since he and Donavon are friends. RAD! So we plan on THUR and all week Im stoked thinkin about it. YEA. Ends up Donavon changed his number and Sonny cant get a hold of him. No biggy. We will just go and buy tix from scalpers when we get there. Lil adventure. ;-) Im up for it! Well THURs my buddy Marty at my office comes up to me and says "Do you belive in fate?" "Of course" I say "Well you must have some good karma cuz here ya go" as he hands me 2 tix to Donavon Frankenreiter! HOLY SHIT! One of the guys at the office had 2 extra and gave them to Marty and Marty gave them to me. WOW. ASK AND IT IS GIVEN ............... I was walkin to the bar to get my thousandth beer and these guys saw me holding my camera, took it, and their budy took this pic. ha ha Just random guys but I had to post it cuz I thought it was a funny thing to happen to a chick mindin her own business. In the picture we all look like were bff's! Hilarious. Well the show rocked and another hero of mine joined Donavon on stage towards the end of his the set. Rob Machado. It was awesome. Not a bad evening............and my all time fav part was when he first took the stage and said "Check, check check" into the mic........damn thats hot.
Today I woke up with a sense of feeling nurtured all the way to the core of my being. I didnt wake up feeling lost, insecure or wondering "whats next". I woke up knowing its all going to work out. I started off the week by meeting up with McCabe at her magical cottage by the sea. We talked, ate & drank for nearly 3 hours. It felt good to be open and honest and to hear myself say the words Ive longed to hear come out of my mouth...........I am truly happy. I am truly safe. I am truly pure of my intentions to the universe. Finally I am free of the suffocating feeling of emptiness and and the annoying feeling that I just dont know where life is going to take me. I dont feel that way any longer. I AM FREE.
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* As I walked onto the jetty at ponto this morning a guy dressed in jeans, uggs, sweatshirt and some very cool glasses was standing out towards the end staring out at the waves. He said Good morning and so did I. I took the picture of the Loved As Is rock, watched the surfers for a bit then turned to walk back to my car.
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Ponto jetty is a very magical place. I have said prayers there for many years and so has my dad. Its kinda the place we go when were feeling like we need to be closer to God. I guess we think we will be heard more clearly while praying if we are in a place that makes us feel so good. And magically, Ponto jetty always does the trick.
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On Monday, just as I left McCabe's, she handed me the painted rock *Loved As Is*
which is so typical of her to know exactly what nourishment a friend needs. And boy did I need it! But she has also said time and time again that she loves to leave her rocks all over the beach area for people to find. To spread joy and happiness in her own little way.
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So today as I was leaving me and dads "secret spot" I realized that my Ponto jetty energy rejuvenation morning may not have been only for me. As I walked across the sand and was nearing my car the man on the jetty was also getting into his car. He is a nice looking man with blondesun kissedscraggly hair. He looks like he just woke up, thru on his jeans and was on a surf check. This just happens to be my favorite look on a man.
;-)
I got into my car. He in his. I turned the ignition. But stopped. I took the rock and walked over to his car. Tap tap tap on his window...... * "I guess I am supposed to give this to you" I said * "To me?" He said * "Yes, its for you" "Have a great day" I said * "THANKS!" He said * I turned and walked back to my car and we waved to each other as I drove away...........Thanks to McCabe and her sweet little slice of heaven for all to enjoy and to me for thinking to myself...........maybe this man, just like me, needs to know...........HE IS...........
* So as Imdrivin home yesterday I realize how amazing the evening weather is and that Im driving along the coast and ..................this is my life. Im on the 101 drivinthru Carlsbad and on the radio are the Mama's and the Papa's singin .............
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All the leaves are brown
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
And the sky is grey
Ive been for a walk
Ive been for a walk
On a winters day
On a winters day
Id be safe and warm
Id be safe and warm
If I was in l.a.
If I was in l.a.
California dreamin
California dreamin
On such a winters day
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And here I am..........grab my camera and start snappin shots as I drive along the coastline........it amazes me that its February and these images are what I get to enjoy on my way home...... *
* The ocean breeze is so incredible .......its fragrance is like a dream.
* * The Mama's and the Papa's song continues....... * Stopped into a church I passed along the way Well, I got down on my knees Got down on my knees And I pretend to pray I pretend to pray You know the preacher likes the cold Preacher likes the cold He knows Im gonna stay Knows Im gonna stay California dreamin California dreamin On such a winters day * * As I pull up to my parents spot at Ponto I see them waving, mom and dad both raise their glasses to me and cheers the air, Mike and Meg pop up from their chairs and cheers me as well.....the sun has nearly set now...... the mama's and the papa's finish with * All the leaves are brown All the leaves are brown And the sky is grey And the sky is grey Ive been for a walk Ive been for a walk On a winters day On a winters day If I didnt tell her If I didnt tell her I could leave today I could leave today California dreamin California dreamin On such a winters day California dreaming On such a winters day California dreaming On such a winters day * I think to myself....this is my real life. I am California Dreamin...........On such a winters day.
Havent posted anything for a while. After I kicked off the new year, did a re-deux then went into some freaky funk I decided to take a little blog break. I needed to refresh the new year and Ive done a great job. Cleaned out a lot of old clutter, freshened up my workout by walking everyday at lunch and changed my eating habits so Im eating much better! What a difference!
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This morning I got up early and headed up to Tamarak to watch the guys surf and get myself into a zen place. Feels so awesome to sit and listen to music and watch surfers. Makes me so happy.
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* Ive been so easily amuzed lately. Doesnt take much.............
I left this untitled cuz thats about how Ive been feeling. I cant figure it out. Why am I so down? Am I pms-ing? Am I lonely? Am I just lame? WTF! All week I have been trying to figure myself out so today, now that Ive wasted my whole week, I give up. Rather, give in. Im giving into my funk and Im just going to let it run its course. You know we are all supposed to be "positive" 24/7 so earlier in the week I did what I usually do when Im feeling crummy. I get juanitas rolled tacos and guac and I go to the beach and watch the sunset. Didnt work. The funk is still there.
I wonder what it is? Well my rolled tacos with guac didnt help. Good thing tho is it made me decide to start eating better and start running at lunch cuz maybe my comfort food is making me grouchy! So yesterday I went and got some healthy groceries from Trader Joes' and today I will be running at lunch. Cmon endorphins kick in!I took this picture of Keir on Christmas Day and keep meaning to post it. She is just the cutest thing in this pic! She looks all cozy and Christmas-y! I hugged her so many times in that outfit I think she was getting annoyed. he he So Im posting this pic finally cuz it makes me happy. :-) *
Well i just thought Id post my cranky post to hopefully abandon this feeling and purge it onto my computer and into my blog. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr crabbiness GO AWAY!
Not everyone will agree with me but somehow I managed to think 2008 was a great year. I had so much to be grateful for, more so than things to be bummed about, so to me that equals a great year. Keir moved to her dads in November 2007 so by Thanksgiving 2008 I was really taking a look around and realizing all that had been accomplished in that year. Not only was Keir loving her new school, getting straight A's (YAY KEIR) but her and her dad were getting a second chance at being father and daughter. Something that was always there but just out of reach for the two of them. I redecorated and painted my house. Reconnected with countless amounts of old friends. Made new friends. Spent real, true, fun, quality time with my family (especially my sister and my nieces. Jen and I made real efforts to get together and do fun stuff on a regular basis.) These are just a few things I can think of. What about the fact that I asked God and the universe for a new industry for work, close to home, working with nice people. Voila! Got it! I asked God and the universe to be able to visit Ben and Melissa. Voila! Got that wish too! Seriously I have more to be thankful for than I have in many many years.
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Now New Years Day was a little different story. Here's where this blog title comes into play. I woke up on New Years Day after having the flu for a few days and just felt kinda jipped. Like, hey, 2009 was supposed to start off with a bang and instead it started off with a fever and body aches. Good news is I was definitely feeling better so I rallied a little and called Darcy and invited myself over for a glass of wine by announcing, "Im buying some wine, Ive got your Christmas Present and Im coming over to have a glass with you before you get ready for your date!" Im sure Darcy was thrilled. Not so much. ha ha We were able to have a glass and I headed home just before the fog rolled in! WHEW!
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Weird tho. Still wasnt feeling like I had a real NEW YEARS DAY vibe. Darn it. So what to do?
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A New Years Day RE DEUX of course!
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I got a gift certificate to The Four Seasons from my boss. I called up Aviara and started plotting my RE DEUX. "Good morning, I received a gift card and Im wondering if I can use it for SPA services?" "Why yes of course you may" Said the wonderful voice on the other end of the line. "Lovely", I said. "Also, may I use it in the restaurant?" "Why yes of course you may" again came from the wonderful voice. "Lastly, does that include alcohol?", I said. "Why yes of course if does". Ah. Perfect.
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Made an appointment for an hour long Swedish Massage then called my mom to see if she wanted to meet for lunch at 2. "Why of course I would", said mom. (Like she could ever pass up a day at Aviara with me overlooking the golf course!) tee hee Love you MOM!
The Four Seasons at Aviara. Right in our own backyard. Just doesnt get much better I tell ya. Now. Im sorry to torture you with this image but here's how the morning went. I arrive at Aviara and walk into the SPA. It smells like vanilla and light lotion from the islands. Its warm and toasty. Im greeted by the sweetest girl who treats me like Im a princess. Miss Norton this and Miss Norton that. Oh la la I was in heaven! I got a locker, big fluffy robe, comfy flip flops that massaged my feet as I walked. Then I was given lemon water and ushered into this spectacular atrium. I sat near the fireplace in the picture above with my feet up as I read a magazine. It was so amazing I was a bit overwhelmed and got choked up. I thought, Wow, how did I get here? How am I so lucky to have this amazing day? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. After about an hour of lounging and doing nothing it was time for my massage. A whole hour of being pampered. Pa-Leeze! I showered and took my time getting ready after and met mom in the lounge for lunch.
We ordered a beautiful cheese plate and shared a bottle of chardonnay. I told her about my plotting and that she was part of my plan to have a RE DEUX of New Years Day. She loved the idea and we toasted to 2009!
Just a happy little lark she is!
Dan, our waiter. Now get this. He was the cheeriest guy you'll ever meet. He was fun and funny all afternoon. He laughed all day about how silly we were but really just accommodated our every whim. Thanks for making the day extra fun Dan!
This is Dan's contribution to our RE DEUX. Its a New Years Day Christmas Tree! Now every year we will have to put a palm tree out to make sure we dont break tradition. * Thanks to my boss, mom, Melissa (she actually gave me the re-deux idea cuz she and Ben were doing it as well), Darcy for starting off my re deux and all of my friends and family who put up with me year after year. Youre all a blessing and Im the luckiest girl in the world. Keir, thanks for making my life so special. Youre everything to me. Love, Happiness and Prosperity in 2009! CHEERS!
PS. You all know that Imobsessed with coming home from work and looking at my doorstep for gifts, trinkets, flowers or my future husband.............well Melissa was kind enough to throw me a bone and shut me up for a while. Saturday I came home to this cuff "HOT SEXY" in a package on my doorstep! I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it and its now become part of my collage/dream board! Youre such a great friend Mel. Couldnt make it without ya bunsie.
Pss. The Chargers won on Saturday! 17-17, game went into overtime. Chargers scorea touchdown for the win! My final final part of my New Years Day RE DEUX! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Go Chargers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy Canoli! Drove up on Monday morning. Had to stop in Oceanside and buy cables for the tires. Forecast was calling for snow. great. NOT! We made it! Raining the whole way but no snow yet. WHEW! Got up on the slopes and rode til we were so cold we couldnt ride anymore. Got in the warm lodge, had chili, a beer and got back out there!
Ok, little mistake. It was now windy and frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreezing. Took one run then went into the ski shop and bought bandanas for our faces. SO COLD!
Keir and I just before we got the bandanas. See how cold our faces are? awe. poor us!
Here's where things get interesting. It was around 3 and we were done boarding. Our cabin was only blocks from Bear Mtn. Awesome. Um, yea. Not so much. The cabin was up a mile long road that hadnt been plowed. We had to stop and put the cables on the tires. It was getting dark and starting to snow. The guy at the gas station was a jack-ass and was going to charge us $40 to put the cables on. I thought, I will at least try to get them on..................Voila! An hour later I got those babies on! Not easy by any means but I did it. I have a new appreciation for guys. Putting on cables is a guys job. I will never do it again unless its an emergency and were going to die.
Our cabin. Keir loved the fish. ha ha. We hated it! Oh well, it was warm and cozy and 21 degrees outside and the wind was whipping like crazy so being in the cabin with the stuffed fish wasnt so bad. We ordered Dominos pizza and called it a night. Hilarious.
Woke up to a foot of fresh snow
Gotta start the process of getting all the snow off the car but first we must write our names on the car cuz were tourists and its fun. LOL Where to begin?
This is our drive home. It wasnt bad. The snow had been plowed and we had our cables on. Now the interesting part was getting down the mountain and having to take them off. This is another job for a guy. I had to crawl under the car to unhook them. When your down the mtn of course the snow has melted so I was laying in melted dirty stinky snow. The first thing that happened was the snow from underneath the car melted and dripped into my mouth and onto my face. It was so gross. Of course Keir laughed and continued texting inside the warm cozy truck. Thanks Keir. I got the right side off fine but the left side got stuck. It was getting cold and clouds were coming over. I thought the cable was stuck in the wheel well and we were going to be stranded. I saw a truck driver about to leave and didnt hesitate to be a girl. "Sir!" "Can you help me?" He came over, pulled the cable and out it came. We got it off, I thew the cables in the truck and we high-tailed it the hell outta there! We got home so fast I was even surprised. ha ha I can say for sure that driving to the mountains in the pouring rain and sleeting snow is not for the faint of heart. I love being a girl and will never try to do boy stuff again. EVER!
I thought I'd take you on a night in the life of a single girl in Encinitas. ME!
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So last night it was pouring rain as I drove home and it was dark so I decided to go home, get cozy and ......skip yoga. Dammit. I really wanted to try Andrews class at Yoga Swami but I wasntfeelin' it so I stopped at the store and bought myself some flowers. I wanted Stargazer Lilliescuz they are so pretty and festive and make an entire room smell fresh and girly. Just what the doctor ordered. ahhhhhhhhh
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The next thing I did was pour myself a lovely glass of Bogle. Melissa introduced me to this chardonnay and Ive been hooked. Its so light and refreshing and pairs nicely with the bruchetta I made. Mind you, I have never made bruchetta in my life. I had to email Mel and ask her what to do! I had all the fixin's but alas, totally clueless on how to make it. I cut up the bread, poured a little olive oil on the bread and toasted it in the oven. mmmmmmmmmmm
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Sidenote: to the left of the picture is a Oil & Vinegar Cruet that came in the mail last night. Ive always wanted one and finally found one online at Allysonskitchen.com. I was so happy when I came home last night to a little gift on my doorstep! My favorite thing is to drive up to my house and look for gifts on my doorstep. Why? I dont know. Am I hoping my future husband will be waiting for me on my doorstep? lol .....I need to get a grip.
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Ok, so dinner is ready and Im excited to sit down to my beautiful table to eat ......but first off I need to light the pilot light cuz its about 48 degrees in my house. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I couldnt take it another second!!!! Called my dad and asked where the area was that I lit the match. He was annoyed but told me anyways. (He has lit the pilot light in every house Ive lived in since I was 19. So this was a huge turning point for me to figure it out and do it myself.) So here goes.......
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POOF! I did it! OMG I thought for sure I was gonna lose an eyebrow but first try and it lit! Now, lemme tell you how funny this is. Both Emilio and Winston immediately went over to the heater and flopped down next to it. OMG they have been freezing their asses off for weeks now!
Poor guys ....BAD MOMMY! *
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Lil Emilio so grateful to have heat
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Winston just irritated that its taken me this long to light it. He's been sneezing for days hinting to me to just light the damn thing already! So this is Winnie pist and down right frustrated with me. **
Cranked that puppy to 90! Everyone is happy. Sheesh.
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Another thing us single gals do for ourselves is browse thruHomegoods looking for whatever might jump out at us and make us buy it. This round a 3-pak of Sandlewooddiffusers jumped out and forced me to purchse them...........I actually have one in every room now. The only problem with the diffusers is opening the outer box which always has about 20 really annoyingly sticky pieces of tape to keep it irritatingly closed super duper beyond tight. grrrrrrrrrrrrr Then you have to pop off the top of each one, which is also annoyingly stuck in tight and lastly each pair of sticks has 3 pieces of tape on them!
Holy Mary Mother of GOD! Just open already!!!!!!!
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Dont Laugh. Last week I took lil Emilio to the vet and they took xrays and it turns out he has bad hips. Poor fella is gonna have to live like this for a while. He isnt in any pain so thats good but he cant jump which means he cant get up on the bed. So I got him some stairs and put them together and showed him how to go up and down. He hated it at first and wouldnt do it but by the end of the night he was crusin up and down like a champ!
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Tahdah! Look at me Im almost to the top!
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Welpthats it. OH YEAH and I wrapped some presents and added ribbon to a few others that looked blah.
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Thats the night in the life of this single gal...........
Ok, I know. Im out of control. Christmas is 16 days away but I dont care. To me, its just around the corner and Im so excited someone slap me!
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Keir and I went and got the tree Friday night and as part of our tradition afterwards we went to Islands for dinner with the tree on top of the car.
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This year was a little different tho cuz our tree is only 5 feet tall so it fit in the back of my ginormous truck! It looked to witto in the back but we absolutely love it!!!
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It was easy for me to pick up and carry in and with the help of Keir and her friend Kia, their was no screaming or cussing between Keir and I while getting the tree in the stand and straight.
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Every year we struggled with just us 2 girls to get our 7 or 8 foot tree straight and this year we decided Santa is watching and we "better be good for goodness sake" and that meant no cussing while trimming the tree!
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So with our lil' Charlie Brown Christmas tree we accomplished just that. It got all put up without one single argument.
***Note to self: Only get 5ft Christmas tree going forward ;-)
Saturday night Keir and I got all fancy and went to my work Christmas Party. The dress Keir is wearing is the one she got for her homecoming that I never got to see on her cuz she was being a teenager and blew me off for her big day. So finally I got to see her all dressed up in it!
(Im telling you this cuz Keir reads this blog and Im rubbing it in that she ditched me for homecoming~Love you honey! LOL)
Keir loves to try new restaurants just like me so on the weekends we usually cook a lot at home but one day or night we like to go out. So Sunday we decided to head north to San Clemente for a little restaurant recon mission. We didnt know where we were going but we knew we wanted a cute little place that we would love to come back to and we found it!!!
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Cafe Mimosa
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Keir had a cappuccino and I had a pomegranate mimosa and for brunch she had the Croissant French Toast and I had the "Mexi Scramble" eyeyey was it good! Its our new favorite spot and one of the cutest bistros Ive ever seen. We had a fantastic weekend and topped it off by making Christmas cards but I cant show you those cuz its a surprise. You'll have to wait to get yours in the mail. he he
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Merry Christmas!
Monday, November 24, 2008
I dont have a lot to write. Just that I had a great weekend and these are 4 reasons why. #1 - Photo above - Keir home - Need I say more?
#2 - Keir with her good friend Lauren and I out to dinner having a great time just chatting. Im easy. Spending time with Keir and Im the happiest person on the planet.
#3 - Lil Mozelle - Just so dang cute and smiley its ridiculous. Her eyes are like diamonds. They are just so shiney I have to grab her constantly!
#4 - Look at that face. Kelis is just the sweetest thang ever. We were all done at the park and she said to me "Angie, cmon over to my house okay?" Can I just tell you that this kid can say anything to me and I do it.
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Thats it for today. Had a fantastic weekend with my daughter, sister and nieces. Easy Peasy.
Is anyone else as excited about the upcoming holiday season as I am? I dont know whats gotten into me but I'm ready for my Christmas tree and Thanksgiving hasnt even happened yet!
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I just have this incredible feeling that its going to be a wonderful holiday season.
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Ive been listening to Christmas music for the past week and am ready for a yummy turkey and deviled eggs at my moms house for Thanksgiving. The great thing about Thanksgiving is getting the family to sit down at one table for several hours at a time and give thanks.
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This year I have a lot of things to be grateful for.
My daughter
My family
My friends that have stood by me for years and all the friends who came back into my life
My animals
My home
My job
The beautiful city I live in
My health
My happiness
My faith
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All of these special gifts Ive been given in 2008 have definitely made a difference.
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Ive had a little health scare and even that Im grateful for because it has made me stop and reevaluate my life and how I was living it. It made me realize its time to switch gears and downshift. Slow it down.
But most exciting of all is I have had to take a deep breath (several actually cuz Ive been out of breath!) and really make changes in how I was managing my time and my life. I had forgotten to take care of my inner being, my soul.
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I cancelled my gym membership today at Family Fitness. Working out in a gym is not fulfilling to me and I dont enjoy it.
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I love to be outdoors and run along the ocean then do a few extra moves in the park while I watch the sunset. I cant run everyday so I plan to incorporate other things I love and do them more often.
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Hike, Bike, Kayak and my newly added YOGA.
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So even though my health was suffering for a few weeks, it opened me up to realize the bigger picture. TIME FOR CHANGE.
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As my Christmas music plays, my honey candle burns I feel a sense of new peace and tranquility that has been vacant for some time.
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I'll be saying this a few more times over the next few weeks but here is my first one....HAPPY HOLIDAYS ;-)
I think Ive read too many fairy tales. Either that or I have a ton of faith in God and the universe. Either way here's the deal. I believe their is someone for everyone. Ive been lucky to have super wonderful men in my life. Ive never been treated so badly that I actually said I dont want anyone in my life. The truth is......I do want a man in my life. Ive come a long way baby and its time to reap the rewards of all my hard work. Its time for me to sit back and enjoy.
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And that I plan to do.........starting RIGHT NOW! At this very moment I am saying to myself....."Damn girl, you have made a real life for yourself" "Something you can truly be proud of" and now its time to share all that great stuff with an awesome guy.
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You all know me. Cant you totally see me sitting at sunset with the perfect man for me drinking the wine in the picture above at sunset? YES!
Can you imagine my perfect guy for me and I all bundled up, snowboards in tow, driving to Mammoth for a week long boarding trip?
Say it with me....YES I CAN!
Imagine with me......that awesome guy and I just on a whim take off to Italy to visit my heritage in Calabria! He and I walk the city all day long, stopping only to sit in a cafe' with a delicious bottle of vino and a baguette with some incredibly scrumptious melt in your mouth cheese. ahhhhhhhhhh can you smell the bread? I CAN!
Next stop for my lover and I? Yes you guessed it..........Costa Rica! Its October and we've been traveling alot but now its time to rest and relax and cut up some fresh juicy limes for our 'Imperial' beers. They arent very cold but we dont mind because were just grabbin them to walk to the beach for a quick surf session. The birds in the trees create the most memorable getaway ever.......
Its January! My perfect guy for me and I decide to bundle back up and head to
NEW YORK CITY!
He loves to travel and is up for anything. We all love him for that!
We stroll through Central Park together and even take the cheesy horse and carriage ride just to say we did it. He is so sweet and funny he tops off the corny ride by getting me a single rose. We spend the entire day in China Town in a little restaurant that we cant pronounce but could care less. We eat dim sum and sip our soup and just enjoy being warm for a few hours before we have to head outside for a long walk back to the hotel. Before we know it, its time for dinner and like me, he loves to be in jeans and tshirts but when youre in NYC you become very fancy and we get all dressed up for our big night out to Babbo. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Because we love to travel we invite all of our friends and family to Maui for the greatest trip of our lifetimes. Our wedding.
Its casual. All the girls are in sundresses and all the guys are in board shorts and flip flops. At sunset we have a small ceremony and afterwards we all toast to the couple who after searching all their lives for one another have finally come together.......
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If dreams do come true this would be mine.
Good days or bad days somehow I always manage to keep my faith in God and the universe that I am deserving. He is on his way to me.
Today I woke up feeling rested and rejuvenated. Im not sure if it was the full moon or what but if it was the full moon it was a doozycuz it took me two days to get over it! I did some primping and as much pampering as I could for myself over the past couple of days so that combined with the full moon moving away has left me feeling light and airy and in a place of gratefulness!
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I thought I'd share a few things that have inspired me the past few days and made me feel not only blessed but really happy both inside and out ;-)
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my new MAC lipgloss perfectly named "PRRRRR"
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the crisp fall morning on monday allowing me to bundle up and wear my favorite scarf
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the smell of the ocean as i drove along the coast
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the new incense i found that leaves my home smelling of sandalwood
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coloring my hair with the wrong brand but having it turn out perfect
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sipping a great buttery chardonnay as the sun sets
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losing my favorite earing then going to the place i originally purchased them and snagging the last pair
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having a teenage daughter who still wants to hang out with me
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buying a shirt i've been eying for days
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realizing life isnt always easy but finally being in a place of true happiness and knowing that everything always works out and to relax
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picking up winston this morning and smelling how good he smells and feeling how soft he is
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meeting and dating a great guy that becomes a friend that is so hot its not even believable (see photo below) that you are connected with on so many levels ~not only is he hot but he is kind, spiritual, intelligent, funny and basically the catch of the century
'the magician'
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putting on coconut lotion and dolce and gabanna perfume
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a berry pizazz smoothie from jamba juice in 90 degree weather
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having a friend call you and say "i'm sending you a package"
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another friend calling her handbag designer sister and saying "please send me two bags for my friend angela"
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having a perfect hair day and not caring if anyone notices then first thing your friend says "wow, you're hair looks great"
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fitting in my beige corduroy jeans that i've had since i was 30
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Well, I guess that's about it for today. I am feeling inspired and felt like I needed to say it allowed so the universe could hear me. Now that all of you know it just reaffirms my desires and my happiness and the universe can hear me even louder with all of your voices as well. Now you know how I feel you can send all of this goodness out into the world! Stop by a jamba juice, buy that lipgloss you've been needing, sip that chardonnay, smell the ocean, buy a shirt you've been wanting and by all means kiss a hot Austrian Magician!
Finally! I talk about her all the time like she is my imaginary friend. She exists! heehee This is Bernie :-) Another friend Melissa wished for me! Bernie has 2 adoreable sons and lives in Carlsbad. We have a ton in common and I probably drive her more crazy then she is cuzIm so bossy. I cant help it and she accepts me the way I am. LOL
* (Mom, Me & Bernie at Wine Loft 10/7/08) * Whats been so great about Melissa wishing friends for me is that I get out and do stuff all the time now. For a long time I was sad that Keir had moved to her dads. I nested as much as any one person could. I painted my house. Pulled weeds. Decorated my backyards. Painted and decorated both bathrooms. Basically did everything humanly possible to keep busy and get my mind off of Keir not being home. * Then Mel wished friends for me and as you read in my blog about Sandy you know about 10 new/old friends have come into my life! Its been so fun and Im really loving going out and having girl time! * Bernie is an incredible chef, artist, mother and friend. She is up for anything and like me, loves food and WINE! Yippee! * Since we met we have been to Roadhouse, 1st Street, D Street, The Saloon, Savory, Wine Loft, Wine Merchant, Pizzacotto, Islands and even tried to go to Belly up but it sucked so we left. What is the best is calling each other at work and sayin "Hey, ya wanna go to lunch?" or "Hey wine after work?" and then just going! Neither of us make any big plans, we just spur of the moment go and do really fun stuff. As you can tell Bernie is high on my list of great people in the world. Once again I can say, I am truly blessed to have such great friends. Love ya Berns!
My grandparents are just the cutest things. Both in their late 80's they are just adorable! Last night my aunt brought them over to see my newly remodeled and redecorated bungalow.
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My gram just raved about all of the decor and loved the warm and inviting feeling of the house.
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She even said that when Keir is married and has a house of her own she wants Keir's room! Awe.
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Linda brought over a delicious dinner so I didnt have to cook. We spent a couple of hours talking and enjoying the peace and tranquility of my little house.
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Grandpa ate up all of his dinner and loved my shirt! He really liked all of the colors in it and so did Gram. If I can find it again I will try and get it for her for her birthday coming up in November!
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My grandparents have always been a big part of my life. When I was little my sister and I always spent time with them. They were big golfers back in the day and when I was 3 or 4 I nick named my grandma "Grandma-Wack-A-Ball!"
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My grandpa was an amazing athlete and used to be a Golden Gloves boxer in the late 1940's. Whenever we would visit them my memories are always of Grandpa Buddy throwing us up in the air while playing in the pool or doing handstands on the grass. I think my grandpa even taught me how to swim! Good thing too cuz when I was not even 1 I walked right into the pool and my mom had to dive in and save me! I was even bold as a baby!
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My grandparents were always around and luckily 20 years ago they moved from LA to Calrsbad. They are at every family event and have been a huge part of Keir's life. History repeated itself when he helped Keir learn to swim. I cherish those days and all the days to come.
It was so nice to just sit and talk with my grandparents last night. Im so lucky to have them so close. It was a great night.
Lately I feel like whatever I ask.... is given. Reconnecting with Sandy is no exception.
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Its incredible. She and I fell away about 12 years ago. Our husbands were best friends and although we stayed in touch after Sean and I divorced it was hard on Sandy and Steve to be partial when they were still friends (and always will be) with Sean.
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I understood and took the high road and left the friendship behind.
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Last month Sandy found me on facebook and contacted me. Mom and I had just been talking about her so it was so amazing when I got her email. We emailed everyday for the past month and finally this past Saturday she came down to visit.
* We have some yummi snacks in my backyard, a couple (yes 2) bottles of Sangiovese and talked the night away.
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I am so happy we are able to come back together. A few months ago I had told Melissa that I really wanted to have more girlfriends to be able to do stuff with. She and I said prayers and within the week she introduced me to a new friend McCabe, then I befriended a gal at work, Bernie, I flew to NC to visit Mel, Vicki and I reconnected after a year of not talking, Darcy who I hadn't seen since Jr High and now Sandy!!!!!
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My little wish came true. Thank you universe for always lookin out for me. Yet another blessing to be grateful for. AMEN ;-)
.................I have said this before but I am finished painting! ha ha I painted the entire house a couple of months ago and absolutely had to take a break. That was alot of painting to do with little help from the outside world. But hey, I did it and its all good. Over the past 2 summers I have made my house that was a place Keir and I just "Lived".......into a place we "L.O.V.E"
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So Here are all the pictures
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My bathroom before...............(What was I thinking?)
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My bathroom after........(I'm still trying to find a mirror...the one I wanted was at Homegoods but was gone when I went to go get it yesterday :-(
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Keir's bathroom before...........Awe it was good for her but it needed some TLC..........
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Keir's bathroom after...............
All warm and cozy now...............Just the way we like it. ;-)
Is she a juggler? Is she a Zen Master? Is she a Master Navigator?
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My sweet little niece is so cute and fun. Not only that tho she is really starting to talk up a storm and be this cool little person. She even wanted to stay with me while my sister was leaving the other night! Little Kelis is not only smart but she has an artistic side too.
A couple of weeks ago when we all went camping everyone painted rocks. Keir did a really awesome one at the top right of this photo. Its a sun but its so cool cuz it reminds me of an Indian summer. She also did the one at the bottom right that says love..........it actually says ONE LOVE but you cant see that cuz our little Zen Master Kelis came by my house and saw all of our painted rocks. I was showing her the ones she had painted and she just thought that was the greatest thing that Auntie Angie had her art on display.
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When I went back into the backyard to see what she was up to she had stacked all of the rocks on top of each other. Their are people at the beach that will stack tons of rocks like this so my theory is she saw this at the beach and remembered it.
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She also remembered the last time she was at the house that I juggled for her. So when she came this time she immediately said "Auntie do the juggler" ha ha. Oh and one last thing about my very intelligent niece........We went for a long walk with Mozelle. When Jen, Kelis, Mozelle and I were walking home Kelis said "Turn here!".......Um yea.......She was telling us where to turn to get to my house. She is 3 and knows how to get to my house! Very advanced I tell ya........
Me and dad picked up some subs and beers and headed to the stadium for some tailgating.
We popped open the back of the truck and hung out drinkin and ctachin up til it was time to go in.
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Of course we made friends with our neighbors who ended up to be friends with my buddy Marty from work. What are the chances that we park right next to Marty's friends and up walks Marty. I was like hellllllllllllllllllluuuuuuuuuuuuuu. Ha Ha Too bad they were makin' jambalaya...........it has seafood in it but it sure smelled good! YUM!
We got right up to the players while they were practicing and our man of the hour Ladanian Tomlinson walked right up to my camera. Helluu LT!
When you watch a football game live the players look like gladiators comin onto the field. They are monstrous and focused. I mean CMON! Look at the size of this guys neck! (See below)
Sprolls made the game happen and when they went in for a touchdown then a two point conversion the crowd was going crazy! It is so cool to see the players that keep us happy all season long live and in person! I have enjoyed football since I was a little kid. Football season for me is like a little slice of happiness. To be able to yell and scream and root for my favorite team always makes life just a little nicer. he he
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Thats our team folks. GO CHARGERS! .........and long live the sport of FOOTBALL!
Just like life changes and evolves so are my projects at my house! After painting I thought FOR SURE that I was done with projects for a VERY long time. Interestingly enough tho all that it did was spark all of my creative juices to really dive into making my home hold all that is closest to me and for all to enjoy my little bungalow as much as I do.
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Whats great about all of my little projects is they are continuously opening up my dreams, hopes and wishes that I have put away into a little box for so long.
Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue) is one of my all time favorite movies. Its a quirky/artsy piece with only 2 well-known actors. All of the others are stars in other countries but not in America. Ive been drawn to this movie for so long its amazing that I still rent it and enjoy it everytime. The soundtrack is so peaceful that as weird as it is.... I love it. And of course....ITS THE BLUE COLOR! (Maybe that is where the BLUE started for me?)
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Last weekend I painted the inside of the fireplace B.L.U.E. -
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(Sidenote: Keir and I found the drift wood at the beach in Cardiff, I painted it with a clear coat, my dad drilled the holes for the tea lites then he got me the little glass tea lite holders, I glued them to the driftwood and finally my dad gave me all of the beach rocks that I placed on the floor of the fireplace......A project within a project!)
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Back to the BLUE Fireplace - I have been really focused on this color for a while now. Its all really starting to piece together and if you read this blog, you know the color has something to do with a premonition Ive had that the person I meet will either love this form of the color BLUE or it will be even larger than I can imagine. Is he a Oceanographer? Does he work for the Surfrider Foundation? Does he scuba dive? It could be a million things but I am going to venture forth with my dream of him and what the BLUE means.
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It signifies the past and the present coming together.
It signifies me being ready to give up that ol' caterpillar and become a butterfly.
It signifies me as a woman, letting go of so much and making room for the man Ive dreamed of to enter and share my life.
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Ive decided to go ahead and paint my bathroom BLUE and create that space that from my bed everyday I can wake up and look into that space and see my present and my future. He is so close it is crazy! Mark my words...........Anyday now I will say Oh My GAWD.......Ive met someone and he is everything Ive ever dreamed of, that all of you have dreamed for me, and so much more!
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So Imkeepin' on keepin' on and livin life as it comes - knowing that 2008 marks a special year for me. It marks a time that is significant but over and a beginning that I created and that the man of all of my dreams finds fantastic and all that he dreamed of as well. Dont forget the poor guy has been searching for me too so its been hard for him to find me and he is just as happy as I am that we find one another! HA!
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So the B.L.U.E ADVENTURE continues.................stay tuned.
Over the weekend my parents celebrated 40 years together. We had a big Hawaiian luau and the day could not have been any more perfect. The next day I spent my entire Sunday on the beach with my daughter. Soaking up the sun and playing in the warm water with Keir reminded me of a time when things were simple, easy and maybe even perfect.
We lived in La Jolla at WindnSea on Bonair about 10 steps to one of the most beautiful places in the world. Everyday was like we were living a dream. Lior was from Israel. He had only been in La Jolla a few months when we met. He was young, handsome, kind hearted, loving, sweet and damn if the boy couldnt surf! He was actually pro in Israel.
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We lived everyday like we didnt have a care in the world. And really..........we didnt. Our door was always open, friends would stop in and out, always had food on the stove, ice cold beers in the fridge and we were madly in love. He nicknamed me "Bambita" (bambi) and when he would call for me I would just laugh becuase of his accent. What a doll he was. Not only were Lior and I in love but he adored and loved Keir. He would look at her then look at me saying, without words, "How did I get so lucky to have you girls"? Funny thing was we thought the same of him.
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The ocean breeze flowed in and out of the house we lived in and Gipsy Kings were played daily. I think we just left them in the cd player and for the most part thats all that ever played. And LOUD!
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All week I have been feeling very sentimental. Remembering that time, 10 years ago, when Keir was 5, I was 28, we lived with Lior, the love of my life and everything was dreamy. Its weird to be thinking so much of that time in my life but I think its also a good thing. Ive been taking long beach walks, listening to the Gipsy Kings, Julio Eglesias and some Israeli music Lior and I played together. I made an Israeli dish that I used to make all the time and turned music up really loud last night with all the doors and windows open. Im not trying to re-live the past but I do want to live like its the happiest time of my life. It may never be the same as it was 10 years ago, but as life evolves I have too. I want to live everyday with that feeling of innocence and of that time when life was dreamy.
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I have everything I need. My daughter is happy and healthy, I have a great family, friends, both old and new, a home I love, a job I love and Im healthy. Life is just as its supposed to be.
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Donovan Frakenreiter http://www.donavonf.com/ just came out with a song called "Life, Love and Laughter" and every time it comes on it just makes me smile. It also brings me back to a day when I was on the beach in La jolla.......I was laying out and Lior came from the house and brought me an ice cold corona with a fresh cut lime. We each sipped our beers then went in the water. I had a waterproof camera so we took it with us. The water was clear and we kept taking pictures of each other then one of us together. We were laughing and smiling UNDERWATER! It was so fun and funny. What we didnt know was all of our friends and neighbors were watching us from the shore. When we got out of the water all of the girls were glaring at me......I thought........wow I must really piss girls off......I have a boyfriend that loves me and he is beyond gorgeous and we were just out frolicking in the ocean in front of all of these poor girls that are single. I knew what it felt like to not have someone. If I were those girls I would having been glaring at me too! I came out of the water, dried off and went up to the house and made lil snacks and got some more beers for everyone. It was that or be lynched!
Lior and I were only together for a year but it was just that time in your life that you cherish forever. I feel so refreshed this week and free from something. I cant explain it. I guess Im really in love with who I am and the life I have built for myself and Keir.
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Today Ive downloaded some new tunes, its sunny, Im meeting my sister for drinks and apps after work and damn if life aint awesome! Lior was so wonderful to Keir and I he will always be that special person that I hold close to my heart. Maybe what Ive let go of is that part of my past. I want that as a wonderful memory but am finally ready to have that kind of a man in my life again that is a true, straight up, honest guy that wants to share in all this life Ive built. Actually I know thats what this week has been about. Its about being ready for all that fun again. Slipping into the ocean for a swim, smiling and laughing at life, listenin' to some killer tunes with the man I love, enjoyin' an awesome ocean breeze, drinking ice cold beers and all of this with the sun shining down on us...........ahhhhhhhhhhh (deep breath).
30 years? We've known each other for 30 years? We could not stop saying it all night! This is my friend Darcy. We grew up together from elementary on. I moved to Encinitas in the summer of 1978. One of the first friends I made was Darcy. We were inseparable from 5th grade thru Jr. High. We were a year apart so once she left Jr High we lost touch. Always calling each other every year for our shared birthday, June 14th!
Well allllllllllllllllll these years later and this year when I called for our birthday I said WE ARE GETTING TOGETHER this time! So last night we met up at Roadhouse and it was so cool. We totally clicked and have a ton in common. Our lives are in similar places and its pretty neat to think after 30 years here we are again. Darcy is a fitness fanatic. She does 3, yes 3, IRONMAN's a year! And in 11 hours flat! She was 5th and missed qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman by 63 seconds. Darcy, honey, ya have to pee while riding.....no stopping next time! Poor thing didnt know and stopped twice for pee breaks. :-(
We had a great time. Everyone and their brother was at Roadhouse last night. Half the time we were catching up with other old friends while trying to catch up with each other! HA! It was awesome and Im looking forward to hanging out and WORKING OUT with her. She promised to run with me even tho she is used to running 10 miles a day she wont mind my little piddly 3.5 miles. It will be a nice little break for her. Old friends. New connections..........funny how in life we all come full circle.
ps. This morning I put on my "prosperity"necklace made by http://www.energymuse.com/ and asked for abundance in all aspects of my life. hummmmmmmmmm, then this note comes from the universe:
You needn't worry. There is time. You have all the time in the world. You preceded time and you will exist beyond it. Age is irrelevant; more meaningless than a number. Forever, angela, you have FOREVER. There is no dream you now have that you will not manifest. There is no challenge you now face that you will not crush and dispose of. There is no point in spending one more second of your awesome, amazing life, thinking anything to the contrary.
Well Im not exactly sure what in the hell has been going on with me. Just feeling so blue and sad. The weather always affects me so that is part of it. Yesterday I had enough of it so I got Keir to come home, cuz that solves half my problems which consists of missing my daughter. So with one happiness added to my day I decided to SNAP out of it and get to the gym! WoW, I think working out and getting my endorphins kicked in is half my battle. Note to self on that one. So anyhoo..........Now that Im feeling better I thought I would drop a little note about the color B.L.U.E.
I have concluded that something major is about to happen in my life that involves the color blue. Before I left for Asheville I had created my vision board. The first color I went for at McCabe's was blue. And its not just any color blue. Its this really amazing bright blue with a hint of purple in it. Well the entire time I was in Asheville, Mel and I noticed the exact color of my blue everywhere! Since Ive been home it hasnt stopped. As you know I painted my entire house. Welp, wouldnt ya know I couldnt decide on the shade of blue for my bathroom. I bought the same color as the rest of the house then just couldnt do that color in there. SOooooooooooooooooo Its getting the BRIGHT PURPLIE BLUE!
Yes, Im crazy. We all know this. But whats crazy is I think the blue has something to do with the man of my "dreams". I know this guy isnt going to be perfect so dont get me wrong, but after the whole Lance incident I know this guy is going to be pretty close to the perfeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeect guy even beyond what I could have ever imagined for myself.
Now back to this B.L.U.E. situation. Im out of my funk and have got to get my bathroom painted pronto! What is up with that? The fuck if I know! I just know that my man is coming and he wants his future bathroom to be painted BRIGHT PURPLIE BLUE! So Im back on track, head out of ass and back to working out, being healthy and happy. We all get in the doldrums so I wanted to dedicate this blog to all of us who feel like crap sometimes and try try try try try to put our fingers on what it is. My thought on this is "Sometimes we dont have all the answers. All we can do is feel what we feel. Be in it. For however long it takes. Realize when it passes. Then move on and dont look back. Dont go back and try to figure out what was wrong with you for a day, a week, a month. Just move on and GET OUT!"
So I am taking a giant spoonful of my own advice. I am going to make a conscious effort to do more stuff with friends, listen to live music as much as possible and just plain ol GET OUT AND HAVE FUN! I have decided to say this outloud "God and the Universe hear my prayers! I am ready to meet the man of my dreams. Please bring him to me in the fastest path possible and let us recognize each other immediately and without question. Let us recognize the truth, honesty and happiness we will share with one another forever and let us both jump in with both feet and without fear of the future." -AMEN
ps. whatever this B.L.U.E. color is............lets all remember this blog. You read it here. Something remarkable is about to happen for my love life that involves this color and my man is going to love me for knowing to expect him.
This weekend started off with pickin up Keir and her bfrind Blake. First of all they are so sweet to each other and secondly...........WHAT A CUTE PAIR they make! We went to Pizza port and Blake snagged us the best table in the house. We got yummi pizza, passed around Rolling Stone mag and discussed global warming. Lemme tell ya how funny it is to a parent to discuss global warming with my 15 year old and her bfriend. Its an odd feeling knowing your baby is growing up and has interests and opinions on major life issues. Incredible. Saturday we went to the beach with the whole fam, minus mom, dad and uncle Frank. Otherwise the whole clan was camped out. Kelis adores Keir and Keir adores Kelis. I think they were separated at birth. Jen may as well have had Keir cuz my child looks exactly like her aunt! HA HA. The water was super warm and the waves were so awesome. While I body surfed, my Aunt Lin boogie boarded and we both caught a few waves. Sure felt good to be in the ocean and it always grounds me to have my feet in the sand. ahhhhhhhhhhhh
Baby Mozelle has arrived. Home girl is about to walk! She gets up and holds herself up and has started taking steps. She is only 7 months old! Both Kelis and Mo-Zway are very advanced so Mozelle walking at 7 months is no surprise to Auntie Angie. She was ready to cruise at the beach on Saturday and Sunday I was holding her as she walked and I tell ya this girl is gonna be runnin' but 4th of July!
After a long day at the beach Keir and I set out to get dinner. We drove from Encinitas to Cardiff with our tummies growling and no idea of where we felt like goin. At the last second I remembered ISLANDS! ahhhhhhhhhhhh saved by tortilla soup and a BLT! It was still so warm and sunny after dinner the two Gemini's were not tired enough. We stopped at Ponto, laid out a blanket and watched the sunset. Sunday we slept in, again, then went to Americana in Del Mar for some seriously delicious grub. The sun popped out and it was time to begin our Sunday adventures. We drove to PB and rode our bikes around Mission Bay. Man, could the weekend get any better? YES! Mom and dad got home early from their trip to Morrow Bay so Keir and I made a meat and cheese platter and we ventured on over to their place for snacks and Sunday sunset. I mean cmon...............how many blessings can one take? I am one lucky mom, daughter, sister and niece. Another week has begun. What happiness awaits?
Well.............are you wondering how my trip was????? Lemme tell ya. It was amazing. I am so rested and rejuvenated I hadnt even realized how badly I needed to travel and experience a new locale. I arrived and Mel & I took a quik tour of downtown Asheville. This shot is from one of Melsfav spots overlooking her magical kingdom.
Now the funny part of the trip was mixed in with so much beauty, lush green mountains and earthy residents was your good ol' boy drivin his BIG TRUK! We didnt see much of that but boy did the 3 of us have a LAUGH OUT LOUD moment when we pulled up behind this here "Red Neck". Loved it!
This is some of the incredible architecture from the view of a little roof top bar called "Sky Bar"......all this bar was really was a few chairs on a fire escape! Ben & Mel need to write a book on "How 2 experience Asheville in 5 days or less!" Everywhere we went was like a secret little hideaway no one else in the world knew about except them. Thats a lie but I liked believing it :-)
The Willems at "SKY BAR"
Okay....so heres where that saying "Be careful what you ask for" comes into play. I wanted to go on a hike while on my vacation right? HA! Holy Mary Mother of GOD did we go on a hike! We hiked MONTREAT. Its a beautiful college that just so happens to have a big fu**in' mountain to hike attached to it!
Yes, youre reading those numbers on the tree correctly. 3760 ft of hiking to be exact! Straight up! Not so great after a day and night which consisted of beers while watching European Soccer (sorry Ben, his Dutch team lost), followed by a stroll over to the SKY Bar for a martini, then popping by a friends wine bar for a glass of wine/champagne, then back home for more wine! Lord have mercy on my poor liver!
The next day we went to the Biltmore Estate for an amazing wine tasting (yes, mom, I bought wine for us so come over for some and I'll make snacks!) The Biltmore is truly a slice of heaven. Its just gorgeous. Filled with acres and acres of gardens and land and magical drives through a life of grandure in the 1900's.
I loved this shot I captured as we were driving thru town. Artists do renderings on almost all of the buildings in Asheville. This one really caught my eye as something special. We had a wonderful time and Ben & Mel were amazing hosts. I got a chance to take a step back and enjoy the pampering of friends and really see how people live day to day in Asheville, NC. We did so much I didnt want to post 80, yes, 80 pictures, so if you want to see more just let me know and I will email you a link to kodak.com for you to view. WOW, rested...................this sure feels good. Thank you my little Willems family.........Ben, Mel, Shelbs, Birchie (my new boyfriend) and Motor. You guys really went out of your way. Now its your turn! CYA in Cali next time. Lots of Love, ANG
ps. I really missed Keir, my family, friends and my little kitties so everyone will have to prepare for some smotherin'
Well folks. Imheadin out tomorow. I was lucky enough to be able to spend a few days with Sweet Keir before I hit the vacation trails. We went and got birthday massages, had a yummiItalian dinner at Filippis, did a little shoppin and stayed up til midnite til we talked ourselves to sleep. Yesterday we lunched out in the sun at Swami's cafe, and last night when I got home from work she had it all peaceful and quiet. Candles lit and a delicious summer salad made for our dinner. We watched Fool's Gold then Over Her Dead Body with Eva Longoria. Both movies were silly and lighthearted. I actually really liked Over Her Dead Body! I thought it was really funny! Today we are lunchin' with my mom and tonight I will take little miss sunshine Keir back to her pops house. My flight is at sunrise so you all enjoy the next few days. I dont plan to write until I get back but I will be keepin a journal of all of my "Asheville Adventures!"
On a little side note:
My dad came by this morning for a quik coffee. He ended up pulling down some sappy branch from my side yard and checking on some things that need fixin around the house. LOL. The guy cannot sit still. The reason I even mention this is what he was really up to was sending me off with a hug and some loot for my trip! He had a special little thought for Ben and Melissa and I think he needed to tell me in person so I can bring his energy to them. My grandma Thel passed away in November 2007. She is still very present and she wanted to make sure Ben and Mel know that everything is going to be ok with the process of their adoption. Her message came thru my dad and he delivered it in his usual manner. On the sly with lots of love and emotion.
So off I go.
~Happiness in my heart from time spent with precious Keir.
~My mermaid friend taking care of my sweet kitties so I can truly enjoy my time away.
~And my dad, whom I adore, sending me off with such an open soul to possibilities I can only imagine. He never ceases to amaze me.
I L.O.V.E you Keir. ~Love, MoM
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
This photo found me today.
My days are filled with so many new and
interesting things.
I go about life with a smile on my face
and glitter in my eyes.
Interesting things keep finding me.
How fun is it to be truly happy and fulfilled????
Its a new and amazing feeling for me.
For many years I wondered the earth with so many questions.
So angry.
So insecure.
So hopeless.
Looking at the ground instead of looking at the sky.
I dont know what I was waiting for?
I was looking to my left at a canvas of negativity instead of
looking to my right at the canvas of positive light & love.
Years ago I took a workshop and my instructor Pauly said:
"You better make a choice girl!"
"Are you gonna get busy livin?"
"Or are ya gonna get busy dyin?"
At the time, man, did that strike a cord. I had been gettinREAL busy dyin for years!
Livin in the past.
Angry.
Sad.
Overwhelmed.
Needy.
Desperate.
Lonely.
Insecure.
Thinking the world owed me something.
HA!
The fuckin' world dont owe me nothin!
At that moment I chose to get busy livin.
Well, like I said that was a few years ago and if you have taken a workshop you know the tools you learn fade if you dont use them daily.
Well shit if they havent faded.
So fuck it.
Today Im gonna get back to gettin' busy livin!
Im making my dreams come true.
My daughter is happy and healthy.
My family is happy and healthy.
My friends are happy and healthy.
I have a great job.
A beautiful home.
Animals I love.
And a vacation I wished for since January just came true and Im about to leave for Asheville.
So Imbustin down the door of my pity party and raising my glass to health and happiness prevailing.
Cheers to me and the amazing life "I" created!
All of my dreams are alive and well.
Its a beautiful sunny day in Encinitas and I am happy to be alive.
This time next week I will be landing in Asheville, North Carolina! Mellie Mel and I have been needing some serious GIRL TIME (Picture is from our last GIRL WEEK in NYC) and finally Imgettin' my ass on a plane and headin to the south! Its about 85 degrees there right now so Imlookin' forward to all the amazing experiences we will have. Me in shorts and flip flops for a week. Pure Heaven on earth! Ben loves soccer so Saturday we will be headin' to a pub to watch some Euro Soccer! Anything with sports and Im there! Especially if sweetheart Ben wants me to join in on what he loves. :-) Thanks for thinkin of me Ben! (Ben is Mel's hubby) Mel is a fab cook so she plans to have beers and tacos all ready for my arrival on Friday! YUMMMMMMMMMM How good does that sound after travelin all day! YEAH! Little Birchie, their pup text me a pic yesterday telling me to feel better since I have a sore throat. The picture of him looked like he was sincerely worried about me. LOL. I got some YIN CHIAO upon Ben's recommendation and low and behold its been about 4 hours and Imfeelin' better! Come on herbs............kick my cold...Its my birthday tomorrow and I need some martini's with McCabe! Om Om Om
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
I'm thinking about you.
I miss you, he says...
Visions of you in a daydream
Awakened by the ocean one morning
Visions of us
As you kiss me something stops you
You look at me deeply
A smile
The vision fades ever so softly
My day begins knowing you are floating towards me
Your arms around me as we rest within the oasis
Our toes touching
Our lips connect
The sweet smell of love
Our embraces overwhelm us
We are perfect for each other, he says
The words "I know" are on my breath
From the distance the doors play
You look at me in amazement
I can't believe I am here, he says
The words "I know" are on my tongue
We fall into each other
He is kissing me
The waves of his curls skim my eyelashes
I realize
It was YOU
In my vision that morning when the ocean awakened me
Do you ever feel like you're dreaming? Like everything around you is but a dream?
When I stopped at Pannikin this morning the sandwich board outside said....."Are you living your life full of joy and happiness or are you dwelling in a sea of misery? Remember.......its all about location location location!" I thought...HELL YEA it sure is and my location just shifted and it happens to be pretty damn awesome! I finished painting the house on Saturday night. By 9pm everything was put back and cleaned up and I was sitting in amazement of what I had just accomplished. My home is what Ive always dreamed. Warm, cozy, inviting, sexy, zen, balanced and I feel like Ive been given a gift. The gift of tranquility. It doesn't matter where I am in my house now. The living room, the kitchen, my room or the dining room.....I feel
like...yes.........finally.........
I've arrived.
My home is cleansed of the past and is now in the "PERFECT PRESENT".
I have many blessings in my life. Everyday as I drive to work I say all the things I am grateful for. I realized so many of the things I have envisioned for myself the past few years all seem to be coming to fruition. I decided to stop at Ponto jetty and thank GOD and the universe for all of my blessings. As I walked to the jetty to my left was spray painted the word LOVE.
I am grateful for a loving, amazing, smart, sweet, kind, beautiful, funny, healthy and happy daughter and for my wonderful family.
I am grateful for finding this beautiful heart shaped shell mirror and finding the perfect spot in my bedroom so every morning when I wake up I can glace to my right and see the reflection of my tropical oasis...
Im grateful for my lil' sweet raspy meowing, toy fetching, husky Emilio
Im grateful for my Winston who has overcome his skin issues and is now his old cranky self ....minus the obsessive scratching and fur loss.
Im grateful that Winston loves me so much the he was even giving the camera love while I was snapping away with him on my tummy. (I think he looks like a sly player out to get chicks in this pic)
And finally Imgrateful for my beautiful bougainvillea outside my bedroom.
OH! A little note I received from the universe today which I thought was perfect:
Best case scenario, Angela, you really are a magnificent, powerful, divine Being of Light; your thoughts really do become things; nothing is impossible; your dreams are meant to be; and these Notes really are from an ancient, wise, all-loving, all-knowing best friend.Worst case scenario, Angela, you're dreaming the whole thing up. Whoooooooooo-hooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! ~The Universe
Friday morning I woke up and first thing I thought was..........I wish I were in NYC with Melissa at Balthazar (picture in caption)on our way to lunch to have apps, yummy wine and more than anything.....girl time! I have really been missing Mel and she and I have been asking the universe to bring us together since January! She and Ben had visited Cali last summer and we all had a great time. Ever since Ive been missing her terribly. (Ben too of course) So Friday she and I were on the phone and she shared with me that she and Ben had a set back in their adoption process. It really hit me hard. Not only was my friend hurting but I couldn't be there for an "Its going to be okay" hug. We got off the phone and I just could not stop the tears. I sat quietly at my desk working on a report but being that my boss sits directly to my desk in a glass office he could not help but see that I was upset. He just flat out said "whats wrong". I have a hard time sharing with him because he is MY BOSS. But from the day I started at this company he and I clicked and became friends almost instantly. I chose to share what was happening with Mel & Ben and that I just wished I could be there. He said "well, you're going!" Of course knowing my financial limits I knew that was not possible for now. It didn't take him but a blink to realize why I wasn't going and he said again "You're going!" "Use my miles on American. YOU'RE GOING!" Within minutes I had accepted his generous gift and booked my flight. 10 minutes later I was on the horn to Mel with my little surprise..................."How does the 20th sound?" I said............."How does the 20th sound for what?" she said. "For me to come to Asheville?"....................silence. "Get the FUCK outta here!" she said.........We both just giggled uncontrollable for 5 minutes after and immediately started planning all the stuff we will do when I arrive! Seeing the house, Ben's clinic, Biltmore Estates, hikes, Ben playin the banjo, Birchie, Motor, Shelbs, Baby Ezra's room, wine, food and conversation...........all the stuff we miss as best friends for months at a time! Holy Shit! I'm going to Asheville! See you in 10 days and a wake up little Mellie Mel Julep Head! Like I said................Dreams do come true. Thanks Steve!
Sometimes one just needs to stop and smell the roses. Today this one stopped dropped and rolled! I drove my tired ass to the beach, opened up the window, stuck my feet up, put on some Ray LaMontague (thanks Mel) and watched the waves crash and the seagulls fly. After goin' goin' goin' for days and days I just needed a rest.
For me resting is "not thinking". The beach is my meditation garden. Watching the ocean and the grass swaying in the wind is so peaceful to me. I decided tonight I will not be painting. I'm gonna plop on the couch and watch the Lakers kick the Celtics asses and drink some Amstels. The house ain'tgoin' anywhere. Plus I need to support my people. The Lakers cant win if I'm not paying close attention. :-) GO LAKERS!
I finished my room! I cut in and taped off for what seemed to be a thousand years! I actually got a little pissy while I was painting last night. The exactness of taking a brush, holding my hand steady and cutting in a perfectly clean line was annoying me. LOL ...The results are amazing tho so I pulled my head out of my ass, stopped complaining, turned up D'Angelo and finished my entire room and put all the pictures back up! WHEW! And yes.........as promised, I cleaned out under my bed. Now all thats left under there is a bat (to hit any possible intruders with) and a giant cop flashlite. This weekend I need to shop for a pink ROSE QUARTZ stone and place it under my bed for LOVE. (per Melissa's recommendation) and I need all the help I can get in the L.O.V.E. department so a shoppin I will be goin! :-)
I really love how the cinnamon turned out. Its actually called Chivalry Copper but I like to call it cinnamon cuz it sounds better.
The contrast of the Coastal Mist and the Chivalry Copper is exactly what I imagined. The Coastal Mist sends me away to the Hampton's and the Chivalry Copper reminds me of sunsets on Ka'anapali. mmmmmmmmIm ready for a PinaColada!
My little beach shack is officially UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Painting the first wall Sunday, then the two walls on Monday in my room were nothin compared to what was done last night. Professional MASTER PAINTER uncle Frank came over and what he accomplished in 4 hours was insanity! He was cutting in the ceiling while I was taping off baseboards and realizing.........wow, my house is filthy!
Luckily he was so busy he didnt noticed my disgust. So not only will I be cleaning out the "Old memories" from my bedroom, but I will also be plain ol' CLEANING! My kitchen is nasty so that will be the first thing to be overhauled after the painting is complete. The good news (since Ive totally grossed you out now) is that the colors I picked are exactly what I imagined and I am so excited for all of this to be done, clean and ready for its unveiling! Thanks for all your help FRANK and a little smidge of help from mom too. (She stopped by and taped off the dining room baseboard) Hey I'll take all the help I can get! Tonight I am finishing my bedroom and the hallway........maybe the kitchen if its not too late.......and THURSDAY I will tackle the rest of the living room! Almost done.........WHEW!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
This is a new one for me. I am showing you my work in progress. My entire life I have only done unveiling's. No one has ever seen the actual before image. LOL! With blogging I want to be open and let you in so here ya go. THE BEFORE IMAGE! The blue wall is the one I just painted. The wall to the right is the ol ugly cream yukky color thats been there for a hundred years. (I swear they didnt paint before I moved in 4 years ago) After tonight that wall to the right of the blue will be a cinnamon color. I am so excited I can barely stand it!
My weekend started off with dinner for the birthday boys. Dad, Alf and Frank all have birthdays within a few days so we have wised up and are having a party for them the week before Christmas nowadays. We all met up at the pizza parlor and I said "Hi Mozelle, I love you" and she stuck her tongue at me then laughed. ha ha Terrible Twos or Just comedy? God she really is funny. Totally comical!
Uncle Frank brought Grace. She is such a doll. Seems like she has always been a part of the fam even tho theyve just started dating a few months ago. She fits right in.
Mozelle didnt like poppa's Santa hat - as soon as she saw him she started balling! He had to take it off but before he did we were all cry laughing cuz it was so funny.
Me n mom. She looked so pretty. She always does, but Friday she was glowing. I think she is always angelic when we are altogether. She just gets so happy when the fam is all in one spot.
All 3 birthday boyz got sundaes. ha ha They look like Easy-Bake-Oven cakes. They were so little!
We were leaving the pizzeria and Kelis said "Im going home with Auntie"...........WHAT? Yep. Her first sleepover without her parents was at my house. My parents were so pist. ha ha We went to Jens, got Kelis's jammies on her and I brought her home. We watched Madagaskar and she was out by 1030! Slept all night. No problem! YIPPEEEEEE Big girl did great!
Keir and Kelis eating snacks and being cozy.
Saturday Keir and I got this lil homemade owl from Melissa! OMG it is the cutest thing ever. Thanks Mellie Mel Julep Head. We love it!
Saturday afternoon Vic and I had made plans to meet up after a whole year of trying! We would make plans and something would always come up. Laguna is almost exactly half way for both of us so around 4 this was my view on the 101 just before pulling into the restaurant.
Its was crisp and sunny out. What a beautiful day. I felt like I was on vacation so I took the touristy vacation picture.
The view from the patio where I nabbed a killer seat along the ocean!
So glad we met up. It was 2 hours of catching up on each others lives - In person finally! Vic and I email and talk on the phone but its always nice to be able to sit across from someone and really have a conversation. We needed it! YAY - So that was the weekend. Sunday I slept in, went over to Pannikin and got some chili and a coffee and sat outside then headed to Senior Grubby's for the Charger game. We beat the bengals by 1 point. Close game! Ended the weekend perfect! Always nice when we win. he he Probably only one more post before I sign off til the new year. 3 days and a wake up til Cardiff! 
Next up? Of course off to Islands for dinner! What would christmas tree shopping be without Islands afterwards? ha ha Cheers!
Ok, now this is funny. The kid at the tree lot didnt cut off any branches so the dang tree wouldnt go in the stand. Blake was like OMG take it out again! 3rd time was a charm and we got it in and upright. That was funny. Thats me tightening the tree stand. Thanks Blake!
Sunday - Chargers vs Chiefs. WHOO HOO! Dad and I tailgated b4 the game. We parked under the trolly bridge so it was freezing. 2 spots over was in the blazing hot sun. Oh well. Pops brought out the ol skool Chargers Jackets and I was snug as a bug in a rug. Yippe!
Jen and Kelis stayed for a sleepover and we had a girls night of painting our nails and taking pictures. SO FUN! This one Kelis took. Pretty darn good job for a 4 year old! 
(side note: that mustang in the picture is my moms - ha ha)
Pops 
In the morning we headed to Paradise Cove for brunch. Its on the water and on the sand. LITERALLY! Had some killer food and drinks - If we had more time we would have rented a cabana and stayed all day for sure. Next time!
Me n Keir ;-)
After brunch we went to the campsite - got on the wifi and reserved tix for the Getty Villa and headed over. No rest for the wicked! sheesh
It was really amazing to see jewelry from 2000 years ago that we would wear today. So incredible.
After the Getty moms and pops napped but we were wired so we chatted and listened to music and Keir broke out her camera and we laughed and took corny pics for an hour! What were we doing? We dont know..........were totally sleep deprived and delirious!
OK, no resting! Now were off to meet my buddy Gary up at Malibu Wine for a super duper fast wine tasting (more like hurry and suck it down cuz we gotta roll tasting!) We had to rush cuz he was taking us across the street for a tour of his friends ranch. Calamigos Ranch. Um hello.
Driving thru the ranch. 
We got to the venue early. Had some dinner at the college 
I mean 
The closer I got to my house the more light I felt. The weight of the past 2 weeks were finally coming free. At the market I had bought all the 
The first night we got there, set up and Meg made a delicious 
We were all taking siestas after Mike's killer 
Saturday we all went into town to go to 
Inside its just the coolest. They even had stencils made for the walls and one wall says "if 
Thanks for the great tacos 
Our pop up with Keir and Kelis blowin bubbles
Finally sittin down after a long weekend of cooking, heat, fun, food, and fam
Alf and Kelis
Pops, Mozelle and Kelis on a nature walk
Yesterday Keir and I volunteered at Life Rolls On for THEY WILL SURF AGAIN - Awesome Day!
GREEN TEAM - One of our surfer's for the day - RUTHIE!
Green Team in the water with US OPEN Expression Session surfer with SCI - Keith catches a killer ride - Such a great day 
We took a walk around the 
Saturday morning I was up early and took a beach walk. Its really beautiful. 
We went into town, had breakfast then headed over to Santa Barbara for Santa Barbara Wood. Afterwards we hit the Santa Barbara Winery (another tradition) then over to the 
Lil Mozi is just the sweetest lil girl. She is always holding Kelis's hand and they are constantly huggin on each other. I mean cmon'...........can they be any sweeter? Melts my heart. 
After we hiked, pops and I came back and we all went into town. Pizza was on the menu but when we got to the pizza 
Sunday morning we were up early 
Once 'sleeping teen' was up - we started 
Throw us the "Hang loose" sign 
Keir is so special. She is so smart, kind, considerate, fun, funny and loving. 
Not only is she just this beauty, she gives her heart and soul to her family. She loves all of us and always wants to hang with us and take 
When 
We were passing 
We had 
*MOM*
Of course we stopped. Said a prayer. Got choked up. Then continued on in amazement.
All the photos of 
Hernandez Hideaway is a little Mexican restaurant out in the middle of no where but it is so 
Lake Hodges.............not a bad way to spend a Saturday huh?
We had some time to kill before we were 
After 2 failed attempts at restaurants that had closed down.......we ended up at 
I took this picture of Keir on Christmas Day and keep meaning to post it. She is just the cutest thing in this pic! She looks all cozy and Christmas-y! I hugged her so many times in that outfit I think she was getting annoyed. he he So Im posting this pic finally cuz it makes me happy. :-)
Here's where things get interesting. It was around 3 and we were done boarding. Our cabin was only blocks from Bear 
Gotta start the process of getting all the snow off the car but first we must write our names on the car 
Where to begin?
Sprolls made the game happen and when they went in for a touchdown then a two point conversion the crowd was going crazy! It is so cool to see the players that keep us happy all season long live and in person! I have enjoyed football since I was a little kid. Football season for me is like a little slice of happiness. To be able to yell and scream and root for my favorite team always makes life just a little nicer. he he
