Sorry, I Really Can’t Shut Up About It

So, today I’m back to a regular Monday morning schedule and  : (  !  One sick kid, one running late kid, one kid missing her re-do homework that teacher sent a note about Friday and I saw the note 5 minutes before departure this morning.  And I fixed an unneeded lunch since today is hot dog day, but I failed to look at the menu.  So off to the doctor soon and getting proper postage for the taxes to be mailed off and I’ve been awake since 2 am and it’s raining and… my mind is still here:

Plane rides are still so thrilling for me.  I love the sensation in general and whoa, the window views.  And getting served an icy drink of my choice.  Love it!

So back to thoughts of going to San Diego and all its perfection.  We had a fun sporty car and drove over to the island of Coronado which we both fell for.  You can tell this is sunset time with all the orangeness.

Gary loved the clean quaintness of Coronado and I loved the aroma in the air, well, except right at the beach.  That had a fishy smell and wow, some unusual seaweed in comparison to what I’ve seen on Florida beaches.  I wish I had taken picture of the odd stuff.   This is a Google image I found and it wasn’t exactly like this but kinda.  Brown and bulbous and like a way-overgrown thing of weirdness.

But the smell of the flowers everyone had in their front yards had me going.  Gary said I reminded him of, ahem, Scooter, flitting around smelling all the plants.  I wish I could have bottled those scents.  I couldn’t even pick out specific scents from certain flowers, it was just the overall blend in the air.  Can you imagine living somewhere like that? 

Here at home our blend is burning trash, manure, and occasional cat pee so you understand my infatuation. 

And oh, the sunny days and nice breezes with a perfect air temperature.  Did I tell you I saw two insects during my whole stay and that was spending hours outside by the pool?

And oh, the ocean and its huge ships and crashing waves and wow.  Back to more Coronado talk.

 

I don’t know why, well, yes, I do, but I felt like we were an Amish couple visiting California.  I felt so pale white and non-Californish amongst all the buff and tan runners on the beach, and everywhere you looked, but it didn’t hamper our adventure.  We got in the water and got our jeans wet with one big wave and yet walked on in to the ritzy Del Coronado Hotel for a little looksy.

 

   

There was sand art on the street. So cool.

We had a fun bite to eat at a Mexican place called La Salsa and called it a night.  Our second night to go out, Gary fell asleep as soon as he finished work at 7 pm so that was it.  That was ok.  I never knew until tagging along just how hard the work is while on travel.  He’d be up at 4am to deal with things going on back in the office in St Louis and then worked on the Pacific time until the day was done.  Long, long days.  But so glad I got to go along.

One last comment… I had earlier said I’d only experienced two locations in California, and now I have been to San Diego twice and Los Angles twice.  I know which I’d pick to return to and it’s not the brown smog covered LA as seen here from my plane window on our connecting flight.  The smog even hung over the ocean.  That was a bummer to see, but I still have great memories of San Diego.  

At LAX right now

Don't know which I'm more likely to find here today....a real live celebrity or some souvenir under $40. They both appear elusive.

To those of you making this possible, I send my love and gratitude

Right now this is where I am, soaking in the warmth of the sun rays and drinking in all that delicious blue.

So far today I have had a nap, read a book, enjoyed a quiet, delicious lunch, and now am sitting in the sun, just because I want to. A true vacation for me and I am loving every minute.

I think I love this state, the geography and weather anyway. I've only been to two areas of it in all my life, but the breezy air, the flowers, the strange (to me) trees, the views, the water, are all so wonderful. I'd someday like to see the whole length of it--what some 800 miles? Should be doable, but I first said that same thing how many years ago in 1989. Someday, though.

Yesterday as I looked down out of the plane window at the most incredible cloud displays, heard the different languages, saw ships in the bay as big as my hometown, and viewed the magnificent, varying terrains across this country, I was reminded that I am just a tiny speck on this planet. Tiny!

Somehow, that is such a comforting thought to me right now.

Woohoo!

So, this is what I had going on yesterday morning...I had to pack for a quickie trip to California with Gary! I was worried that it would be hot in San Diego and I had not yet drug out any summer clothes, but no, this weather report was just the relief I needed--the temp is pretty much like at home so, yeah, I threw some jeans and tops and sweater into a carry-on and I was SET! [Well, I also had to clean the house for a noon showing and be out the door by 9:30 am for my ride to the airport but it all happened!] I'm in sunny California now and I'm so excited!

How I spent my spring break

surrounded by 10 inches of snow and then on the sunny day, cleaning out really dirty buildings

Negotiations still ongoing

What is this? Day what? Seven, I think of back and forth. We're headed out of the house right now and hopefully we will come home to a house with a written contract upon it.

Then maybe I can start breathing again?

Sent from my iPhone

To me from me, meant to be

$1 a stem sale so, hello, happy bouquet.

[How did they know?!
Schnucks, you are good.]

Scout did have his shirt tucked in of course until the picture

Last night was Sam's Blue and Gold Banquet where he achieved his Wolf rank. The big scouts were there, too.

Sleepover Recovery

Sleep and kitty snuggle required.

One Funny Sight at the YMCA Tonight

Sam, on skates, which is crazy enough to watch in itself, dancing to Gangnam Style with extreme enthusiasm, while his sister sits at a table completely embarrassed that anyone associated with her could possibly be doing this in public. It's especially hilarious that this lasts about a minute and then he rolls in for a single bite of hotdog and then right back to the skatedance. I'm just sad the song is so short.