Carmel-by-the-Sea

Sunshine.
Ocean.
Shopping.
Good food.
Great friends.
Perfect weekend.

I am in love

with this little guy.



Kjell and I spent the weekend enjoying the sights of San Diego.
( Yeah, we included his mom and dad too.)
Kjell is such a fun little guy! He is funny, sweet, silly, and tender.
I loved that he let me in and allowed me to be his buddy.

Sea World:


The beach/coast was as much fun for Ad as it was for Kjell.






The zoo was awesome too.



I am honored to have been invited on Adam and Darcie's family vacation. It was a wonderful weekend. Thank you A & D for including me and sharing Kjelly. I miss him already.

Once, actually TWICE, in a lifetime experience

Yesterday I went skydiving with a group of friends. This was my second dive at Skydive Monterey Bay. (The first time was about 8 years ago.) It was an awesome experience then and now. I loved it all. It was my second time with Raf as my divemaster too. He has jumped over 12,000 times. Crazy!
We jumped at an altitude of 18,000 feet. That's the highest an inexperienced person can go tandem. I think.
The pictures prove just how much I loved jump #2. I also have the 6 minute video of the jump - if you have the time.

There's one born every minute...

Yep. That's me. Call me a sucker or a fool - for both are apt.
I have been stopped three times on streets in Palo Alto or Redwood City by Greenpeace workers.
I have always listened intently and declined a recurring donation request.
I am not sure what happened today. Okay, maybe I do. :) Maybe it was the tall, slightly grungy, blue eyed, perfect teeth smiling guy that stopped me on the street in Seattle. I called him out on his blatant flattery, but he read me from the get-go. We talked about Utah, Nor-Cal, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. He knows my job and where I live. I know his hometown, his next job, and what his aunt does for a living. After a half an hour of talking, I gave in and just signed the stupid paper to extricate myself. Yikes! That boy sure knows what he's doing. He can get anything he wants. The funny thing is, I knew what he was doing and yet I still did it! Yeah, I am a sucker to be charmed by the granola guy on the street, but believe me - not many women would be able to resist. (Don't worry, I'll cancel the donation after a month. It's a worthy cause, but I just can't afford it.) After I walked away I thought, " What did I just do?!" I have been laughing to myself over it for the last hour :)
Be warned: Ian is going to be a server in Alta Ski resort this winter.You might find yourself with a hefty bill and leaving an overly generous tip, if you're not careful. ;)

Keep 'em coming

Last Monday was a gorgeous day in Seattle. Today was a pretty great day in San Diego. I think I'm on a roll....
I couldn't resist a little pool time. Who says it's almost October?
(This picture was taken of my reflection in the mirrored window.)



I walked around the waterfront with two of our pilots (who are Navy guys) that I met on the van to the hotel. We ate at this Kansas City BBQ place that was filmed in Top Gun. Remember Goose playing the piano? That's the one. A fire gutted it a few years ago, but it was rebuilt and new memorabilia was added. (It's still a dive.)



(I had been out at the pool when I met up with the guys, so I was in a swimsuit coverup/dress as we walked. I looked a bit sleazy too. Perfect for the atmosphere, I guess.)

The Aircraft carrier Midway. I will definitely tour it next time I'm here. I love these things.



It was a lovely day to be outside.



The beach is only thing that would have made it perfect. Maybe next time I'll head there...
As I'm typing, here is my view: You can't beat it.

Just another day at the office.

I get paid to do this?!

Who needs vacation, with a job like mine?
I had an eight hour day on the plane, yet I was still able to spend the day in Seattle. Crazy, huh? The beauty of coming from the east is the arrival time in the west. I couldn't let a 5 a.m. lobby time (central) spoil my sunny and warm day in Seattle. I set off on public transportation at 1:00 pm. and was on the waterfront by 2:00. Writing this, I am sitting in my hotel, amazed by the ease of my travels and the beauty of the city.
Today was a glorious day.
Since the weather was in the mid 80's, it seemed as though all the inhabitants of the city were outside enjoying the sunshine. I was just another partaker.
I may to need preface that food is a favorite part of enjoying a destination. :)
First, I had passionfruit gelato as I walked to Pike Street Market. Along the way, I made a detour into KuKuRuZa, a gourmet popcorn store. I enjoyed talking to this nice girl employee.
(who is in this picture)
As I was paying for some popcorn, the really hot manager/owner/diligent worker interjected and asked if I lived in Seattle. After I answered no, he smiled and said,
" Too bad. You seem like fun."
HELLO?!
I would move to Seattle for you! ( Or for men like you.)
Is that how it happens for people? A friendly conversation on a sunny day turns into a possible date?
Whatever it is, I like it.




Once in the market, I bought (and ate) a basket of cherry tomatoes.....



I then walked along the waterfront to Ivar's for some delicious fish and chips. Just recently, they found a sign in the ocean that advertised Ivar's clam chowder for 75 cents.
Ivar's is currently honoring that original price. (I took one to go.)





After my progressive lunch, I decided to work off some calories shopping.
No pictures. (No evidence.)

I headed back to the hotel on the bus with all the local commuters. It was still daylight, so I took this picture out my hotel window:



Dinner of Champions:



I couldn't have asked for a better day.
I am blessed and lucky to have a job I love, while interacting with wonderful people and exploring lovely cities.

The Great Outdoors

I know that I am a bit biased, but I love Northern California. Seriously. This place is amazing. With very little effort we were hiking in redwood forests and camping near the beach. I spent some time in Big Sur this weekend. We wished it could have been a longer stay, but it really was awesome- even for a limited time. I probably enjoyed one of my best hikes (in recent history.) Melissa and Liz made the trip full of laughter and fun. Our adventures included motorcycle clubs, the bike buddies bike race, and a troubadour with a bunny on his head - not to mention camping, hiking, and relaxing on the beach. I can't wait to do it again soon.

Getting that old itch

It's been months since I went on vacation. Right now, I find myself with over a week off. Instead of going to visit family, picking up extra work, or staying around to be social I am contemplating a last minute vacation. I was this close to buying a ticket to Australia last night. Clearer thinking stopped me. I don't know though... you might just hear from me from some beach somewhere. We'll see.