California...again

Hi everyone. I had a really great time in Cali...so much so that I really did not want to come home, for more than one reason. I love my cousin and aunt, and feel bad that they live all the way across the country and that we have not kept in touch better over the years. I was never really that close with them, but I feel like now that my dad is gone and I am older it's different. I can't really describe the degree to which it is different...it just is. It's definitely a good different though.

I feel like this is an awkward transition, but I am now going to describe the events of the past week (I put pictures up on facebook...go check them out if you haven't already). There were almost no head winds on the way to Cali on Sunday, so I arrived about an hour earlier than expected. I called my cousin (Sarah) who did not pick up her phone, so I called my aunt (Becky) and she called Sarah, who then called me back to tell me that they were on their way to come get me. I had checked a bag, so I went to go get it. The San Diego Airport is actually very small, so it did not take long. I got my bag and went to go sit outside in the sun to wait for my Sarah and Becky and people watch. It was a gorgeous day. When they arrived we headed back to Cardiff, where Becky lives, and stopped at a Whole Foods for lunch on the way. We got burritos, and they were actually pretty good. There is a Whole Foods on the main road in my town (well...it's kind of in the next town over from me) but I've only eaten there once, and I don't remember what I had. Their burritos were actually very good. For the rest of the day sunday we kind of just chilled. When Sarah's husband Chris came home Sarah made chicken, vegetable and rice stir fry for dinner and then we watched All About Steve (with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper). It was kind of funny...but mostly just stupid. It was a romantic comedy, which is my favorite kind of movie...but then again some of them (like this one) can be really cheesy.

On Monday we took Lucy, one of her dogs (she has three bulldogs named Lucy, Cooper, and Monty) for a walk on the beach and then had brunch at this place called the daily news. I had a crab and shrimp crepe, and it was very good. Lucy is not such a good walker (she runs and exerts all her energy at the beginning of the walk, so that by halfway through she is tired). We sat down to brunch (we ate outside so that we could tie her to the table and she could chill out) and almost immediately she proceeded to get sick. We were lucky that the busboy was so nice and had dogs of his own and also had previously worked at a bar and had to deal with a lot of drunk people). In case you couldn't tell I love dogs. Lucy is my favorite of my cousin's bulldogs (aside from Cooper who is the oldest, and just a sweetie). She's really cute and loves to play tug of war (I must have played it with her about a hundred times throughout the whole week with various different toys; she really just wanted to play with any toy that she could get her teeth on from little stuffed mice, to a poor decrepit (sp.?) dragon that had lost almost all of it's stuffing, to a lion, which I think was her favorite). After brunch we took Lucy home so that she could rest, and then went to an outlet mall that is close to Sarah's house (she lives in Carlsbad, btdubs. Not sure if any of you actually know where that is, but I thought I'd give some kind of point of reference in case anyone who reads this has ever been to California). where one of her friends who is living with her for the time being is some kind of manager of banana republic. Sarah was looking for a couple new clothing items, as (and I believe I said this before, but I can't remember) she is pregnant and growing out of her clothes. We managed to find a maternity store in the outlet mall that will be great for her in a couple months. Monday night for dinner we all (Sarah, Chris, and I) drove to Old Town (which is in San Diego) to go to an Italian restaurant called Jack and Giulio's. It was kind of fancy, and I had some really good fettucine (sp.?) alfredo. After dinner we went home and watched The Hangover (another movie with Bradley Cooper...I like him). It was pretty hilarious. If you haven't seen it yet I suggest that you do. Chris left to go to Michigan to visit friends on Tuesday, so Sunday and Monday nights were really the only times I got to hang out with him, but he seems like a really nice guy, and he and Sarah make a REALLY cute couple. :D

On Tuesday Sarah had to work (she's a registered dietician at Scripps hospital...I'm not sure exactly where it is, but Sarah pointed it out to me on the way home from dinner on monday night. It looked like a nice place from the outside) so I lounged around in the morning and my aunt Becky came to pick me up around 12:30 for lunch. We went to subway and then took her dog (she has a jack russell terrier named Max) to the dog beach, where he got to run around and play with other dogs. Afterwards, I went back to Becky's house for a little while while we waited for Sarah to get off work. I can't seem to remember the name of the place where we went for dinner on tuesday or what I ate but it was a cute restaurant, and they had a big fish tank...LOL.

On Wednesday we went to La Jolla for brunch and met my jazzercise instructor, who had recently moved out there, at a place called the cottage. It was really closer to lunch time, so I had a hot chocolate (as it was raining and kind of cold) and a waldorf chicken salad sandwich that was really good. It was something new for me, and something that I would definitely have again. This vacation I tried a lot of new foods...but I will talk more about that in a bit. After brunch we went home and just chilled until dinner, when we met Sarah's friend who is living with her (the one who works at the outlet mall) at a seafood restaurant called King's. Surprisingly, I was the only one who had fish. I got fish and chips, and both Sarah and her friend got salads. After dinner Sarah and I went to see Leap Year (with Amy Adams...I love her :D). It was really cute. I came to the conclusion that I want to go to Ireland someday and meet a hot guy with an Irish accent ((really I just want to go to any country where the people have a foreign accent--preferably the UK (does that include Ireland and Scotland??), Australia, New Zealand, any of the countries in Latin America (Mexico?? :D), Spain, South Africa, or Italy...I don't really like French accents, but that's about the only accent that doesn't make me go weak at the knees)) and fall in love and get married :D.

On Thursday I got up early (well, I had actually been getting up kind of early the whole time because I never quite got adjusted to west coast time...but that's beside the point) and showered, and by the time I was done my aunt becky had come over to exercise and shower and stuff. I watched some spanish tv show with her while she exercised and translated for her while I played with Max and we waited for Sarah to get up so we could go to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I LOVE ANIMALS, so I took a lot of pictures there. Overall it was a lot of fun, and I was able to get gifts for people (Sarah, Becky, my mom, my brother Ben, and myself). Thursday night we (Sarah, Becky, Becky's husband Robert, and myself) went to a place called Thai Pasta for dinner (I had never had Thai food before). I got a dish called drunken noodle. It had noodles, chicken, carrots, and snow peas and it was really good. I want to find a Thai place near me now and go there sometime...any takers?

On Friday we had a leisurely morning. We watched 27 Dresses (with Katherine Heigl) while we painted our nails (or rather Sarah painted her toenails and then my nails, because I am horrible at painting my own nails...LOL). I really like Katherine Heigl. If you have not seen 27 Dresses I suggest that you do. Around 2:00ish we went to pick up my aunt Becky and then proceeded to the airport. My flight was at 5:00 and there was no line for security (did I mention that the San Diego Airport is really small?? Yeah...it reminded me a lot of the Dayton Airport. Good old Dayton Airport, how I miss thee. LOL) so I went right through and got a smoothie at Jamba Juice to drink while I waited to board the plane (which was not very full at all, btdubs. I had the window seat, the middle seat was empty, and there was a man in the aisle seat. They served cheeseburgers for dinner, which were surprisingly good. The man in the aisle seat brought his own Trader Joe's roasted vegetable sandwich, and asked me if I wanted his cheeseburger, but as good as they were there was no way that I could have eaten a second one, so I politely declined). When we got to Newark I called a taxi and went to get my bag. When I got home I let myself in and tried to be as quiet as possible, but my mom was awake anyway and said that I could get in bed with her if I wanted to so I did. My dogs were so excited to see me that it made it kind of difficult to fall asleep, but eventually I did.

That ends the tale of my California adventures. I will write more about other recent events when I get a chance.

--Emily