traveling

Today I’m flying to Colorado to spend some quality time with the family, and to help my sister as she plans for the big day.  I obviously say “the big day” to try and sound more clever when referring the to day of her marriage, her wedding day, the day she says “I Do.”  As I look back on it, it’s really not clever at all. I digress.

To start the traveling process, I took the Santa Barbara airbus down to Los Angeles Airport--LAXY as I like to call it.  I was checked into the airbus by one Jim Whitehead.  I think Whitehead is a very unfortunate last name--no offense to Jim, because he really was quite nice; monotone, but nice.  And he drove that bus like a pro, only scaring me senseless once as we careened around the curves of the PCH (why we took the PCH, I haven’t the foggiest).  I’ll be the first to say that Mr. Whitehead’s bus doesn’t quite hug the curves like my little Honda.  But we made it, and I believe the only appropriate word to adequately express my thankfulness is, of course, huzzah.

I would also like to make a note regarding a condition I have which I will henceforth refer to as unexplainable queasiness and potential fainting (UQ for short).  My UQ comes at the strangest of times.  A few examples.  Once UQ struck as I was watching a video of a very flexible human, for no apparent reason, my poor self was so uncomfortable with the situation that I ended up fainting in class.  UQ also gets me when I see old people with visible bruises, or if I see very, very skinny people.  UQ also strikes right before I travel, usually the morning of.  I get this nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about taking a bus, a long car ride, or plane flight.  I once thought to blame this on motion sickness, but I’m the kind of girl who can ride roller coasters all day and feel nothing but exhilaration.  There’s no explaining it...it’s an anomaly.  All this to say, UQ struck once again as I was on the SB Airbus, and I had the distinct urge to either faint, or perhaps vomit.  I was anticipating the sneak attack from UQ, so I was mentally prepared to handle the situation appropriately.  I don't mean to brag, but I was a champ.  It usually passes after a few minutes of purely unexplainable, and not very pleasant body sensations.  I take particular pride in this specific success story, because not only was I fighting UQ, I was also battling against Whitehead’s death defying driving.

So here I am sitting in LAXY, just loving the people watching. This wholesome recreation is readily available at any public location, but something about airports just increases the people watching joy; specifically in L.A.  Los Angeles, a city filled with ridiculous people.  Something in the water here has created a menagerie of bizarre people wearing bizarre things, and obviously acting at the calibre you would expect from those who wear the word JUICY proclaimed proudly on their tooshies.  Yes, these are the same people who wear sunglasses inside, stiletto’s with their sweat pants, and carry large rodents in their purse that some genius started marketing as dogs.  It’s a well known fact that NYC has a huge rat population in the subway system.  I see the “sm

all dog” situation here in L.A. as much worse than New York’s rat issues.  Not only are the Chihuahua's here in “So-Cal” visible during the day, but they are allowed to be taken into public locations and even petted by the envious newcomers in L.A. who are seeking approval by the ludicrous standards of the self proclaimed rich and famous.   

Enough about other people, back to focusing on myself.  I’m flying Southwest to Colorado.  If you’ve ever flown Southwest before, then you’re aware of the trepidation beginning to build in my very core as I wait to be boarded.  If you’ve never flown this airline, let me enlighten you. I believe it can be summed up in three well chosen and poignant words.  No. Assigned. Seats.  It’s pretty much a free-for-all when it comes to getting seated on the plane.  I feel strongly that some people save all their pent up aggression between Southwest flights, building it up inside until the next time they can release it on Southwest newbies upon time of boarding.  

I realize I might be portraying this whole situation somewhat incorrectly as there are a few loose rules about boarding time.  You are given boarding group A, B, or C; and then an additional number associated with your boarding group anywhere from 1-60.  Boarding group A, numbers 1-30 gets to go first, followed by A 31-60; and then so forth through C 31-60.  The Southwest pro’s have perfected the ability to check in at exactly the right time to ensure themselves group A.  The super pro’s, if there is such a thing, get A 1-30.  I have no idea how it’s done, and am consistently stuck with group C, which is where I think the real aggression lies.  By the time I get on the plane, there is heavy competition for the, gasp, ONE WINDOW SEAT IN THE BACK.  After that seat vanishes in seconds, you’re left to go for the limited aisle seats.  Trust me, those get snatched up faster than you can say Davey Jones Locker.  As a result, and as has always been my case, you must resign yourself to the middle seat; usually located next to those with unfortunate metabolisms.  

So as you can understand, I’m starting to get a little nervous about boarding the flight.  I’m definitely planning to throw some elbow’s, but there’s no telling what might happen if UQ hits me in a clutch moment......

life's little pleasures

I'm a happy person. I see the glass half-full. I'm an optimist. I generally have a sunny disposition. I'm quite positive in fact. Part of how I enjoy life daily is taking pleasure in the little things that rub me the RIGHT way.

- Foggy mornings

- Candles

- The smell of old books

- Standing over heat vents in the winter

- Big Gulps

- Cute shoes

- Reading

- Holding hands with Tim

- Pumpkin Spice Latte's

- Radiohead on rainy days

- Thrift stores

- Pictures/Paintings of birds

- Organization

- My mom's cornbread and chili

- Mike'N'Ike's

- Libraries

- Writing in a journal

- Dave Matthews Band

- The smell of coffee in the morning

- Swimming

- Riding a bike

- Foam soap

- Coscto food court

- The smell and warmth of freshly copied paper

- Black Coffee

- Being with friends

- Remembering IBI

- Spying

- 10:00 snack time

- Crunching Leaves

- September in Colorado

- Atomic Cafe in Beverly, MA

- Being alone in a city with my IPOD

- Public Transportation

- Mason Jars

- Crafts

- Plants and Flowers

- Bird Cages

- Missy Higgins and A Fine Frenzy

- Being Outside

- Crackling Fires

- Typewriters

- Dresses

- Concerts

- Green Grapes

- Eating with chopsticks

- Wrought Iron

And SO MANY MORE.

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of travel." -Margaret Ramback

summer solstice: because who doesn't love hedonism?

Santa Barbara takes the worship of the sun very seriously. So seriously in fact, that there is a two-hour long parade devoted to celebrating the longest day of the year. June 20, 2009 is the first time that I experienced the wonder that is the Santa Barbara Solstice parade.

I'll preface by saying that both sides of State Street were lined with chairs from Thursday night on, in anticipation of the parade on Saturday. I settled for standing room only, which I'm pretty sure was the better option for two reasons, (1) the vertical height of standing was a significant asset in allowing me to get my camera ready to catch the action that was dancing up the street; and most importantly (2) I was able to avoid any personal contact with those in the parade. Typically, the solstice parade hosts some adult content--because who doesn't want to shimmy down the street naked on the longest day of the year?--however this year there was a crack down on nudity. Thankfully, nudist supporters were still out in flocks. Luckily we were standing close to one.

The parade included a host of bands, dancers, razer scooters, rollerbladers, floats, bikes, unicycles, wagoneers, and walkers--many of which were dancing to the beat of their own drum. The parade starts at Cota street and ends in a Bier Garden in Alice Keck Park. I have a theory that includes drug use pre-parade by solsticers. Now, this can't be proven...but this gecko has GOT to be on something...

The highlight of the day was definitely riding the tandem bike downtown with Tim. Todd came along on his shnazzy new road bike, which really put us to shame. But there is something that makes me quite proud in the teamwork it takes to accomplish a succsessful jaunt downtown on a bicycle built for two.

Colossal High Jinks

Best. Weekend. Ever. Many events have led me to believe this statement is absolute truth.

First of all, the discovery of great new songs helped make this weekend a success. Jordin Sparks new song, "Battlefield," and the new Kelly Clarkson song, "I Do Not Hook Up," are obviously going to be summer anthems. I have a knack for guessing these things, and let me just say that these two songs have "summer sing-along" written all over them.

Our Friday night tomfoolery further solidified the start of a good weekend. The Madrona House hosted a BBQ that included a stellar guest list of many of our good friends. It was the quintessential summer evening in Santa Barbara. We sat outside for hours shooting the breeze. Also, my nifty home-made lanterns debuted quite well, and I made some killer chocolate chip cookies which were stated as having, "the perfect texture." I don't mean to brag, but they were DA BOMB DOT COM.

The best part of the evening came around 10:00, when six of us headed out to the infamous Tiberon Tavern, the best of the best in terms of local dive bars. Maddie and Ryan, Tim and myself, and Stephanie and Justin. Great group of people, great dynamics between different couples. First, a little background on the Tiberon. Typically nearly empty, the Tib hosts Santa Barbara locals who are counting on a strong drink and a limited crowd. Sometimes the bartenders even give you money to put in the juke-box because it's so quiet. It was Ryan's inaugural visit to the Tib, so we had prepared him by assuring them that even though there are very few people inside, it was still going to be an awesome experience. As we sauntered up to the Tib, much to our confusion, we saw a line formed outside the door. Two words: KARAOKE. NIGHT.

It was wall to wall people inside the bar with a very small, and I would say far too personal, dance section directly inside the entrance. The karaoke was in full swing by the time we got there, and even included the karaoke singing Santa Barbara legend, Too Tall. [This man is KNOWN for hitting up every karaoke spot in the city, and is known only by said name.] All in all, it was nothing but a pleasure to watch the various performers doing their best rendition of their favs.

SATURDAY was excellent as well. We had a great double-date breakfast. I made blueberry pancakes, Maddie made some scrambled eggies, Ryan made some coffee, and Tim just showed up to eat. Around 11, we all headed up to pick blueberries [affectionately called BLOOOBS by some...] at the ranch. Michelle brought her two cousins along, Maggie and Kelley,

to join in the shenanigans. After a couple hours of good ol' fashioned manual labor, Michelle and her cousins left with a few pounds of the "low calorie, and high in antioxidants!" fruit.

After a picnic lunch, it was obviously time to fly a kite at Refugio State Beach at the edge of Santa Barbara and Gaviota. Kite

credit goes to Ryan, photo credit goes to Maddie. Award for being most photogenic goes to Sarah and Tim. :)

In addition to all of this greatness, all weekend long I was anticipating a rather HUGE event happening early Sunday morning. The engagement of my one and only seeeester. Josh and I have been in cahoots for quite some time now. And let me just take a moment to digress on the

word "cahoots," because it's great. Anyway, I knew it was happening early Sunday morning, so I was just waiting for the call!! Well, there's some good news and bad news. First, the

good news, IT HAPPENED!!! It went just as planned, the sunrise proposal, massages, etc...and check out the ring!!! Now for the bad news. Oh wait, THERE ISN'T ANY!! :) :) :)

Later on Sunday, Tim and I tried our hand at tandem kayaking. Maddie and Ryan came along too, and even though we tried really hard to tip them into the water, their resistance was strong. Thankfully, we were witness to at least one kayak tipping, which was really the highlight of the whole experience. Well, that and this little seal that we befriended.

Wisdom

Adventures in Unemployment

Whoever says that unemployment is a bad thing, has obviously never been unemployed. I mean, it's great. Every two weeks I'm getting money back from the government that I faithfully contributed from every single paycheck during my days as a dually employed citizen of California. I have time to read gobs of books, listen to excessive amounts of music, learn how to play my guitar, and frolic in the great outdoors. Okay, yes, there is the slight depression of having no job, no job propects, continual rejection from employers, the lack of purpose and meaning, and total sense of beings lost. But other than that, unemployment is just the darndest.

For example, sometimes as I muse over the great plans of my day, I find myself with a chunk [or chunks] of unplanned time. What do I do to fill this time?

Exhibit A: Books, not just for reading.

Upon inspiration from Madeline Jacks, I took it upon myself to create some new wall art for my bedroom. I bought a fe

w old books from a thrift store, and got to folding. They add a fun, 3-D element to the wall. Also, since I'm mildly obsessed with reading and all things associated with said activity, they complement my room and bookshelf quite nicely.

Exhibit B: Jars, not just for things that you put in jars.

These babies are multipurpose. In fact, so multipurpose that I'm not sure where I want to put them quite yet. I'm debating hanging them from the ceiling of my room. But they would also look great outside hanging from the porch, or even from the trees. Just imagine candles in the jars, maybe a little sand too. Nifty, and thrifty,

and fun. And as a bonus, quite easy to make.

Exhibit C: One man's trash.......

Found this little treasure in someone's trash can on the side of the road. All it took was a little/lot of cleaning to get this little globey in tip top shape. I can now see every continent on the globe, which, let me just say, was not the case upon initial capture of the world.