Time keeps on tickin'...

Into the future

There never seems to be enough time for all I want to do. And then suddenly I find days to just sit on my bum and eat popcorn and watch old shows. Well - TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY!

Today I have been non-stop since I woke up and am not even close to finishing everything I need to get done before I leave on two back-to-back out of town trips!

I have nearly completed my craft projects, however. Little wedding gifties to go along with cash-a-roo. Hopefully I can share pictures soon. To give you a little something to look forward to...they are jars of homemade Lemon Tea Sugar Scrub. I tried it out for myself first, of course, and my skin is SO SOFT! I don't even need to use lotion anymore. Only down side is that it is impracticably messy. Well, at least it's meant for shower use! AND it's all natural, so no weird chemicals being rubbed deep into your skin.

Off to finalize the crafts and pack the last of the luggage!

Carrying On...

I've been looking for a new carry on suitcase.

I had a beautiful dark green guy for many many years and many many vacations. But alas, he split at the seams and on my last trip to Florida, I traded with my parents for a larger (non-carry on) suitcase that also had it's share of flaws.

When my friend came to visit and was returning with more than she came with, I gave her the larger slightly flawed suitcase.

I have three weekends worth of weddings and traveling ahead and was equipped with nothing but a couple of backpacks to carry my things.

I searched online and in stores for luggage, but everything I found was more expensive than I wanted to pay.

Then I found this "multi-bird" suitcase and all bets were off. I didn't care what the price! $199... sure, I'll do it!

Then I got a reality check called Andy and the search was back to square one... Apparently, contrary to my own beliefs - bird graphics do not equal "spare no expense". Hm.

Well, there are other ways to find a suitcase you love - wait until the week before traveling, run to the store and pick up the cheapest bargain you can find in the limited time and patience you have left. That's what I did and now own a 5-piece Purple Hampton luggage set. It's 4 pieces more than I needed, but at least now I'm ready to roll.

I suppose I can always throw on a few bird decals of my own.

Summer Travels & Updates

Well the summer is half way over. Here are some updates and lots of travel pics.

I haven't really been running. Maybe once or twice a month since end of March. I'm working on turning that back around this month. Wish me luck!

Since our Santa Barbara trip, Andy and I:

Ran like horses in the Santa Anita Derby Day 5k on April 5th.




I went horseback riding with my sisters through Griffith Park on a horse named "Mouse" ("Tsst, tsst...Let's go, Mouse, let's go!...WHOA, MOUSE!") April 23rd. (Unfortunately, no pictures.)






Andy & I visited his brother Jeff in Monterey before he ran the Big Sur Marathon. Apparently, I have no photos of the four of us (Andy, me, Jeff and his girl Jane) but please enjoy this very cute photo of Jeff & Jane in Monterey (or Big Sur...one cannot be too sure). April 26th.










I went to an off-site for work in San Diego. April 27th. I took the train back to LA for only $29! That is something Andy & I need to do. Birds can also be found in San Diego.




My good friend Robyn came to visit and we drove up to Santa Ynez and Solvang for some wine tasting. May 24th. Andy very sweetly drove so Robyn and I could get our fill of wine. Lion's Peak was my favorite. And, even though it would be possible, I'm not just saying this because it's named after my favorite animal. Promise. If it helps - Fess Parker was my second favorite. (That probably doesn't help...considering the "Fess" bit, eh? WELL, I know it won't help if I tell you third on my list is Longoria...because you'll just say "that's because Evan Longoria is the #1 hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays" Well, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it - that these are very good wines regardless of the label. Geesh, such a doubter.)














June 14th we went to Hanover, New Hampshire for Andy's college reunion. Beautiful campus. Made me want to get back to the East Coast. There's so much grit and history in the East.












The very next weekend we took a quick trip to Seattle, WA for Andy's friend's wedding. June 21st. At first I didn't understand where all the grunge came from...but then we strolled around downtown for long enough, you start to see the influence. I'm still not quite sure how it happened - such a gorgeous, mostly rural State. Teenage angst? rebellion, I suppose? I should look that up on Wikipedia. Maybe someone knows the root of Grunge. Kayaking before the rehearsal dinner was recommended.








Finally, over the July 4th weekend, two major events happen. I actually visit my dear friend Kellie, whom I've known sine 2nd grade, at her house in Nevada. AND Andy & I visit Las Vegas for the first time EVER.















July 25th finds us in San Francisco or rather Berkeley for a Stone Temple Pilots concert. Our friend, Nat, decided we should go in style so we all piled in a Limo. Too bad I don't have pictures, since I was afraid to loose my camera at the concert. Here's a picture of the weekend in Cupertino after the STP concert. We didn't sleep much.









As soon as we got back to LA, we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Gnarls Barkley on July 27th. Another FIRST - Andy and I had never been to the Bowl before. I now see what all the fuss is about. We'll be back.











Then it's back to Vegas with our friends Julie and Noah. This time we stayed on the strip at the MGM Grand and played quite a bit of slots. Next time we go to Vegas we will practice our cards first so we're not so intimidated by the tables. ;)















Finally, to round out the summer, we took a trip to Massachusetts and I spent the weekend with Andy's family at their long time vacation spot in Gurnet Point (near Duxbury Beach). His Mom owns a little house there with no running water, no electricity, no phone and only a sun shower where you bathe in your swimsuit. It was the most beautiful vacation I have taken in a long time. It motivated me to get up and take a walk in the mornings before work. It motivated me to appreciate my surroundings once again - like the gorgeous mountain view from my apartment. I'm learning to take just a little longer with these moments. They don't last forever and they sure do energize me as well as calm me. I guess you could say those moments tend to set me straight. I think I'm becoming more of a morning person because of that trip. Andy stayed a bit longer. I envy him.









I learned a lot from my travels*. Major take aways are (1) exercise before you travel - run, swim, hike...whatever you do. Burn off some energy so you are more prepared to deal with the unexpected (like delayed planes and lecturing stewardesses) and (2) make the most of it - sleep only when you need it, eat well and don't blink. When I take my own advice, I am rewarded twice - once on vacation and then again when I return home. I view my daily life with new eyes and am allowed a fresh start in my routine.

Summer is winding down and we don't have any more travel plans at the moment - except our drive across country. But that's a couple months and a whole season off. Hopefully I'll write again before then. No promises, though. My hands may be too busy packing and drafting resume after resume. ;)

*this could also read "I learned a lot from Andy."