Finally some news....

Well much has been going on, but not much time to sit and write about it.

First of all, the last few weeks of work were very tough. My co-workers were trying to go on as normal, because if they thought about it they would cry. The news really didn't focus much on the staff terminations, so the public was carrying on like normal too. I felt very isolated. I began to tell a few patrons goodbye, and they got very upset, which upset their kids, which was upsetting to me. One lady said I ruined her day (though she was glad I told her). This left me feeling uncertain if it was better to say something or just stay silent. My last day of work was on Thurs the 27th of Aug. We left Friday the 28th for California. While I was gone, money was raised to cover the budget cuts made this year. I could go on and on with the boring details, but there is still much uncertainty about my future. I do have a job for another two weeks though. Two more difficult weeks I'm sure....and then we'll see.

The other big thing in my life is that I have bathroom remodels going on. I am so thankful we were able to refinance and hire someone to do the job. That being said, it is still a lot of work. Decisions, decisions, decisions.... I hadn't thought much about what I wanted. I don't like to look or dream about such things anymore, so I was clueless. I don't make quick decisions normally, so this was tough having to make decision after decision, night after night. I know WAAHHH. The contractor worked with us to save some money which meant we had to run to the hardware store and pick up supplies. I'm getting to know the people at Lowe's real well! All that being said, my main bath is nearly done-just a few minor things left. I LOVE it. It was a complete remodel-everything new except the vanity (though it does have new doors and drawers). He has started on my master bath. We are putting tile in the shower there, but sticking with many of the same features used in the other bath (easier that way). I was hoping to have enough money left over to do my kitchen too, but I'm afraid that will have to wait until the job situation is a little more settled.

Nate was bit by a dog at a friend's house and required 19 stitches. The bite near his mouth was the worst and they called the plastic surgeon in to repair that. She did an excellent job and he is healing up nicely. I don't know anything to report about Noah right now. He doesn't seem to want to talk lately.

The last thing I wanted to tell you about is my trip to CA. We had a very early morning flight and pulled a "Home Alone" morning. The alarm is on Jim's side and he says he poked me, but I never heard or felt a thing. We made it to the gate just as they began loading the plane. We flew with our friends Scott & Julie, which made the 3 hour layover in Phoenix bearable. We landed in San Louis Obispo and drove to Dave & Mary's home. Scott & Julie got a Sebring convertible. We wound up with a Nissan Sentra. So not fair! We all piled in the convertible and took a tour of the area. It was my first encounter with the Pacific Ocean. My impression-it is COLD and has lots of kelp. I don't know if the kelp has the distinct odor I smelled or if it was something else, but it doesn't smell salty like the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. We all stayed with Dave & Mary for two days. During our stay we went to the Farmer's Market at the Avilia Pier, Did some wine tasting, drove on Avilia Pier and got up close and personal with the sunning seals, hung out at the beach, grilled Tri Tip (big in CA), watched a movie in Dave & Mary's own personal home theater. It was great to be all together again. Some things I noticed while there-cigars are very popular with the fellas, the fruit and veggies are not only plentiful but fantastically flavorful, the weather is perfect (Dave & Mary don't even have air conditioning), no bugs (in fact both of our hotel rooms didn't even have screens on the patio doors-just didn't need them), it is dry and brown in the mountains, the towns of the Central Coast are not very big (I always thought people were stacked on top of each other in CA), the people were so friendly, dogs were everywhere....on the beach, in the shops, at the restaurants. On Sunday, Scott & Julie packed up and drove that convertible down to San Diego for business. Jim and I checked into the Cliffs Resort nearby. We began his business trip with a fancy dinner meeting. So fancy, several of us didn't know what the items on the menu ever were! The host chose several excellent local wines. I'm sure it was a very pricey meal! Our stay at the Cliffs Resort was so wonderful. For the first time in my life, I slept well every night there. The bed was so comfortable and the hotel quiet. The best part was the view. It was on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. There was a path down to the beach below which also had small tidal pools. I would sit and watch seals and pelicans and dolphins. Mary didn't have to be to work until noon, so we would do things together in the morning. The best thing was our oriental pressure point massage. We got worked over like never before for $40! She did my whole body for an hour. I felt so good that day and slept like a rock that night. In the afternoon I would often lay by the pool and read or explore the beach and tide pools. One afternoon I went to Hearst Castle and took a tour. WOW, was that awesome. I was wary because Biltmore left me a little disappointed last year, but I felt much more satisfied with my tour of Hearst Castle. First of all, there are several different tours to chose from and the price is more reasonable. Secondly, we had an actual tour guide and she was excellent. She couldn't answer one question, so her assistant immediately got on the phone and called the librarian who researched it and called right back. How impressive-maybe that is just because I am a librarian. Third, it seemed like Hearst was the real deal when it came to collecting and Vanderbilt a wanna be. He had a zoo back in the day, but only a few animals remain, including a zebra herd which I saw on my way home. The rest of the time was spent shopping, exploring, and trying new food. Jim had to have turkey nuts. We tried something called linguica, which is a Portuguese sausage and is common there. We went to In and Out, a burger joint, and ordered off the "secret menu". It was really hard to leave the Cliffs Resort-I couldn't imagine a more perfect place! We drove north to a beach where elephant seals hang out. They are big, especially the males! We checked into our room at the Inn at Morro Bay. Another beautiful place. This time we got a bay view room with a private hot tub on the deck. We packed up and went to Montana de Oro State Park to hike and see the tide pools. We heard they were fantastic. We did see some great tide pools, but I'm not sure we saw the best ones. It was a very undeveloped and huge state park. The visitor center wasn't even marked and we arrived moments after it closed (at 3 pm), so we were kind of on our own. The signs at the trail heads warned of mountain lions and rattlesnakes. One trail head sign had a picture of a deer ripped to shreds by a mountain lion on that very trail-happy hiking! We did see and touch starfish, crabs, and all sorts of sea creatures in the pools. It is such a thrill to be on rocks that are just barely above the ocean waves that jut out into the open ocean. We ate dinner and made it back to our hotel room in time to enjoy a glass of wine on our deck as we watched the sun set near Morro rock. The bay offers protection to sea life so there were cormorants and cranes, seals, sea otters, and I'm pretty sure we spotted a little whale. We were eating dinner down by the water when the tail came up right by the restaurant. I got so excited and Jim turned around just in time to see the tail come up a second time. Then it showed it's head and was gone.... Whales are in the area, but not usually in the bay, so the locals were sceptical, but we know what we saw couldn't be anything else. It was so hard to fly out the next day. I would love to live in CA-maybe I wouldn't feel the same after surviving an earthquake! There is a very relaxed and friendly attitude and the conditions are as near to perfect as we are going to get on this earth. This is the best vacation I have ever taken though-chock full of new experiences and good memories.

Well it is getting late and I'm messed up from the travel and time difference. I'm posting my favorite picture of the trip. Not the best mind you (my others are posted on Facebook), but my favorite. It is Cinderella shopping for shoes. Maybe she was looking for a new glass slipper? Only in CA would you see that!