San Elijo

Recently we went camping to San Elijo. After three consecutive years of camping there, I am safely calling it bit of a tradition. Josh and I joined my brother and his girlfriend, Brittany at the site.

I am learning that camping requires A LOT of laundry, packing and foresight. I haven't quite found the balance of being prepared and being a "light packer." Despite feeling perpetually disorganized and a bit discombobulated the entire time, I did enjoy being out in nature with old and new friends.

Here are a few things I discovered about myself while camping:

1. It is very clever to bring two sets of car keys. I lost one pair and then, after a mad morning search, discovered them. Then, I locked one pair in a friend's house on the way home. Luckily, I had an extra set so I didn't have to wait for my friend to get home before I could leave San Elijo.

2. I don't need to buy surf racks for my car because I am not so sure I am a dedicated surfer. I managed to squeeze into my wetsuit and paddle out, only to conclude that I don't really enjoy the process of surfing as much as I wish I did. I love the beach, and I am beginning to realize that maybe I should stay on the dry sand and occasionally indulge with an intermittent boogie board ride to cool off!

3. There's no need to over pack or get a manicure and pedicure before camping. Once you are at your site, you realize that warm, old clothes are all you crave. All attempts at looking cute just take away from embracing the scene - which is pretty grungy.

4. The more the merrier! Campfire stories are priceless: The stories people who are drawn to a BBQ over a fire cauldron tell while drinking wine in the great outdoors could not be replicated in a one or five-star restaurant.

5. Next time I camp, I plan to pack light and bring along a great beach chair. Pressure's off, Gidget.

Party Time

Here are a few photos from Hunter's Birthday Party!

Happy Birthday, Hunter Thomas

April 28, 2011 - It's hard to believe that my nephew just celebrated his first birthday! Congratulations to James and Katherine for surviving and thriving their first year of parenthood!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I hope all of you are spending the day with loved ones - dying, eating, hiding and finding eggs...

Breakfast Nook

Lately I have been into my breakfast nook. It's my corner of the kitchen table. Josh never sits there. We have out spots, and this time, I get the window seat. It just kind of happened that way.
It gets light, and it's just a great place to read the paper, or a novel, or Vogue; and drink coffee, tea, or fresh squeezed orange juice with ginger and lemon; and to eat homemade bread with almond butter, honey and cinnamon.....

Big League Stick

Just the other day, Josh and I ventured downtown to get some clothes from Staci Woo's studio. I was super excited about this venture. After getting some new threads, we went to Wurstkuche which claims to be the "purveyor of exotic grilled sausage" (even the veggie breed). While Josh waiting in the long, winding line, I stepped out to take a photo of downtown LA, which is beginning to look more like a scene from Sesame Street.

As I stepped out, I stepped in, into a huge, still-warm clump of gum. I guess that's what I get for being such a gum fanatic myself. The funny thing is, I had pretty much "quit" that habit (except for work scenarios when I need a piece).

So, there I was, feeling kind of cute in my new clothes, anticipating a veggie Italian sausage with spicy mustard, doing a half-hearted moonwalk across the brick sidewalk, trying to get the wad off my sole. If this isn't a sign from the universe that gum is gross, I don't know what is.

Well, actually I do - bad breath on your labor and delivery nurse.

Not Good Enough for Wasteland

I have a friend who resells anything she doesn't want. She has a house, two kids, a working husband and a nanny. She's not poor, just financially savvy. She's super resourceful with her clothes, appliances, baby toys and equipment. She's constantly reselling things on craigslist. The other day at work, we were talking about spring cleaning - meaning cleaning out the stuff we no longer wear anymore. My friend suggested that I stop being lazy about the way I get rid of things. To add insult to injury, she said, "You don't even have kids. You have time to make some money off your clothes." Ouch! She suggested I take my stuff to a second-hand store to resell it, rather than donate it to the Goodwill or to whatever wandering soul walks by the dumpster in front of my apartment.

I guess I am sort of picky about how I spend my days off. I don't like to waste my hours driving around Santa Monica; finding parking; putting quarters in the machines; standing in line, watching a store manager pilfer through my well-worn threads. You get the picture....

But, on Monday, my friend's words resounded in my head. I put a few items in the back of my car, and drove to Wasteland. As I walked into the store, I went straight to the counter and signed in my "arrival time." Instantly, I had an apprehensive feeling, not unlike the nervous feeling one gets while signing in at the physician's office, ten minutes late for an appointment.

I sat on the bench and waited for a "buyer" to become available. This time I was strategic because last time I went to Wasteland, I resold a cool red windbreaker back to the store for $8.00, and left with two sweaters (nearly $60.00). Maybe that's why they call it wasteland.

After about five minutes, my name was called. I unloaded my bag onto the counter. Then, I stood there while the "cool girl" cast judgment upon my potential treasures.

"I am sorry, I can't buy back anything today, said the cool girl. "You might want to trek them down to Crossroads, and after that, the Goodwill."

Gee, Thanks. And Double-OUCH! Total loserville! I packed up my garments and walked right past Crossroads and straight to the Goodwill, knowing that my 35-year-old ass could not take a second round of rejection from, yet another, "cool girl."

The thing that gets me about all of this is that one of "the outfits" in my donor bag was the one in the picture above. Pretty sexy, right? Something tells me that I would have made a few dollars if I had just posted this photo on craigslist, rather than literally doing the leg work myself. When I look at this photo, I can't help but think, "What a waste ... for Wasteland."

Thoughts about how to Write

News Flash! Fashion magazines have good articles. I know many people just fan through them, but I am one of those people who even reads the blurbs about the the people who write the articles. I am not sure why, but it's really not too different from reading blogs about people you don't even know. It's that "slice of life" stuff that really gets me interested and inspired.

I was reading this article in Elle about Mindy Kaling (who plays Kelly on the television shoe the Office). I was surprised to learn that she is also a co-writer, co-executive producer and real-life best friend of of B.J. Novak, who plays her crush, Ryan, on the show.

Yes, all of that Office trivia is exciting and new news to me, but I was mostly excited about her commentary on writing. Kaling said:

"I always want to write as though if someone were to photograph me, it would look like this amazing photo caught in time ... or if I died the next day, they'd be like, 'Look at her work.' And I'd look so cool."

Here are a few photos that I took in Seville Spain in 2009. I was playing with my camera at a bull fight. Whatever I caught in the photos is how I intend to write from this day forward (except for maybe on this blog, because there's something about this blog that makes me a bit of a cheese ball. I say, "Cheers to Mindy Kaling's philosophy on writing, to cheese balls and to intriguing, fantastical, on-point prose."

The Other Bean

As many of you know, I LOVE coffee. I love it almost as much as I love running, New York and live acoustic music - the folky kind. For me, coffee is a pastime. "Meeting a friend" for coffee is an event that I look forward to.

That said, I have been trying to cut back a bit. I used to drink a small pot in the morning and then, top off "my fix" with an afternoon latte. Hmmm... that's a lot of java buzzing through my veins and brain for that matter. After a few nights of intermittent sleep, I decided to try decaf, which, I have always viewed as a "why bother beverage."

On Sunday, I made a pot of decaf. I was at work. It was 4 pm, and things were DRAGGING. I figured no one else would want coffee. I was too embarrassed to admit I had brewed the impostor bean, so I announced upon entering the break room, "I made a fresh pot of coffee, if anyone wants some." No one budged. Phew! An hour later, one of my co-workers was eating an orange. She said, "I found this in the break room. I hope no one cares, I am eating it. I wanted coffee, but it's too late in the day for another cup."

I paused for a few seconds, before making my true confession: "The pot is decaf," I whispered.

"Really? I am going to have some then." She was delighted.

The very next day, my friend came over. I offered her water, tea or coffee.

"Water would be great. I just met a friend for coffee," she said.

"Oh, this is a pot of decaf," I mentioned in nearly a whisper.

"Great! I would love a cup. It smells delicious."

I poured her a glass, thinking....Okay, now I get it.

Speaking of Roses

My mother has a green thumb. Her roses are big, home-grown beauties! The best kind, I think. I love visiting my mother and taking home a sampling of her garden. Thanks, Mom.