"The Ozzy" ... Too Hot To Handle

It was another busy weekend is So Cal. On Friday night it was drinks, dinner and good conversation at a local Peruvian restaurant. It was my first time trying this kind of food and it was good but odd to have rice and potatoes at the same time. As for the drinks, they went down far too easily...

Saturday was another new experience. I headed up to LA with every intention of checking out The Brewery Art Walk but those plans were soon thrown out the window. Instead, we went for a totally random tour of LA.

First off, I was introduced to Pink's on La Brea in LA.

Pink's is a family run hot dog stand that has been in the same location since 1939. It's become a local favorite and people stand in line for hours waiting to get one of their famous dogs. (Think Pancake Pantry for you folks in Nashville) We got lucky and found the line "reasonably short" and only had to wait about 45 minutes. I was thankful for the wait because it gave me time to figure out what the heck I was going to order. Everything on the menu had some weird twist to it - mayonnaise & bacon or horshradish & guacamole...you get the idea. Most of them are also named after celebrities that frequent the restaurant.

I was urged to try something out of the norm so I went for the "Ozzy Osbourne Dog". The description is enough to churn your stomach - check it out: Spicy Polish dog, nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole & chopped tomatoes. Obviously I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when this picture was taken.

When they said "spicy" I think they really meant to say "hell fire". Not quite what I was expecting. I am a total wuss and gave up about half way through. The whole experience was pretty hilarious.

Next we headed over to the La Brea Tar Pits. It was too dark for any photos but we got to see (and smell) the bubbling tar. It certainly looks interesting and I think I'll go back and check out the museum when I get a chance.

We then headed over to the Farmers Market - which was closing down - so we walked over to The Grove. Barnes n' Nobles was the only store open so we browsed the books & I hit up the music section. I forget how expensive their CD's are...yikes! I've been searching for the Amelie soundtrack so instead of paying $19 for it I decided to run by Amoeba Music. Unfortunately, it had gotten a bit too late and we arrived just in time to see them close the doors. Bummer.

It was a fun night but after the drive back to the OC it was nearly 2am and my tummy ached. It was a fun and totally random night but I think it's safe to say that "The Ozzy" and I will never meet again....

Autumn In Minnesota

Aside from the whole lost luggage issue on my trip home, I had an amazing time. The trees were in the process of changing colors and it was simply gorgeous.



The weekend was jam packed and on one of our trips out we hit up the apple orchards. I love going to the orchards because it brings back great memories from when I was a kid. We picked up a bunch of apples (yumm!), some apple cider & these pumpkins. Believe it or not, we carved these ourselves! Pretty impressive, huh?

On Saturday night we had a bunch of family members over to play games and I kicked butt playing NERTZ. We had a blast and I think that half of that was due to watching my dad get frustrated when he couldn't win.

A very nice treat was when my mom surprised me with a 1 hour massage. She knows what a fan I am of a good massage and it was just what I needed to really get relaxed.

I also spent a lot of time just enjoying the fall colors. On one of my trips out on the quad I ran across a field that was covered with bright yellow wildflowers. Thankfully, I took the time to stop and just watch in amazement the beauty of a million wildflowers dancing in the breeze.

Here is one last fall photo for you of a little park that is near my grandmothers nursing home. Seriously, how cute is that?!

US Air - How I Hate Thee

Let me count the ways...

I flew into Minneapolis/St. Paul on Friday night but instead of coming with me; my bag went to Kansas City. When I realized that my bag was not coming down the belt I went to file a claim for delayed luggage. After all, a bag that looks like this is not hard to miss:

So I asked for money to buy a toothbrush, etc. but my request was denied. Instead I got this:

I nearly laughed in her face and asked her if she was joking when she laid it on the counter. To my dismay she was not kidding and sent me on my way. I was told that they do not issue money for clothes until the second day of a lost bag. Even then you only get a $25 allowance - do these people realize how unrealistic that is? Trying to suppress my anger, I left confident that I would get my bag the next day.

On Saturday I called the claims 800 number and discovered that the agent who filed my claim has messed up all of my contact information - wrong cell number, home number and address of where I was staying in Minnesota. The agent on the phone and I updated everything and I was asked to call back because they didn't know where the bag was - seriously - it could be anywhere in the U.S.

So on my second call I get a hold of an agent who told me that the bag arrived from Kansas City and that someone ("we don't know who" were the exact words) would deliver my bag by 9pm. No such luck. I called back at 9.30 and was assured that another company picked it up and it was on the way and was guaranteed to arrive by midnight. Again, no bag. I'm pissed and I'm tired of wearing my moms clothes (I had NO time to shop).

On Sunday morning I was able to contact someone at the airport. The agent explains that they had the bag and that it had never gone out for delivery the prior day. At this point I am furious. The company that the agent on the phone told me about DOES NOT EXIST and he flat out LIED to me. What the hell!?! The cherry on top was the fact there was NO record of my previous phone calls from Saturday. Argh...

When it was all said and done I got my bag on Sunday night (just in time for me to fly home basically). Not to mention that when the bag finally arrived it was filthy. It was worse than my previous suitcase that had seen foreign countries and nearly all of the United States. I understand that bags get dirty but this was just ridiculous.

So, US Air will be getting an unpleasant letter from me this week...

I failed to mention that I had used a travel voucher from a previous flight that they screwed up on. They cancelled my flight to LAX and left me stranded in Phoenix for a night.

Way to go US Air/America West - you're currently at 100% error rate. Congratulations!

Delightfully Tacky - The Madonna Inn

Every once in awhile I get to stay in some pretty unique places including this one: The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA. Unfortunately, I failed to get a good shot of the outside of the hotel so you'll have to click on the link to see it in all of it's glory!

Each room in this unique hotel has a different theme: golf, caves, waterfalls, flowers, etc. Anything you could imagine probably exists in some distorted fashion at this hotel. My room for the night was the Floral Fantasy Suite and it certainly lived up to its name. Check it out:

Gotta love the red leather arm chair:


And then there is the restroom (note the floor tiles):

The entire night I wasn't really sure how to feel about my surroundings. I found it humorous but slightly disturbing at the same time. I mean, who really designs stuff like this!?

To get a feel for the other rooms that are available; check out some of these links: The Buffalo Room, The Caveman Room, and The Love Nest . Each room has a personality of its own and each one delightfully tacky.

Before I checked out I was told that I had to see the most famous part of the hotel: the "world famous" rock waterfall urinal . Check it out:

In my opinion; you can dress it up however you want to but it still smells like a urinal!

One interesting thing that I've just discovered is that The Madonna Inn was liked as the #10 Quirkiest Hotels in the world by tripadvisor.com. Of the ten hotels listed, only 2 of them were located in the United States. Guess I know how to pick'em!

Crazy Man 1, 2 & 3 - All In A Friday Night

This weekend was jam packed! So of course I have a story or two to tell...

Lets start with Friday night when I got a flat tire. Just my luck! So I'm in the alley behind my house emptying out my trunk so that the guy from AAA could get to the spare (more to come on this later). All of the sudden, Crazy Man #1 walks into the alley and decides to start up a conversation with me. Here are some of the highlights:

• He had just come from Brad Nowell's (Sublime) gravesite where he poured out baccardi, burned a joint, and snubbed out a cigarette on his tombstone - all in remberance of him. Not to mention, he cussed him out for "leaving us too early". I got the full play by play reenactment of this. Including him singing a Sublime song and playing air guitar. Amazing!
• He then invited me to Tommy's house on 17th Street. Since I didn't know him he thought that I might know Jimmy over on 14th. Negative...but that shouldn't stop me from heading over to Tommy's for a "kick ass" house party.
• So then he introduces himself (I can't remember his name) but when I said Nicole he immediately started calling me "Niki". We are suddenly best friends...
• He leaves and then not even two minutes later runs back around the corner and I hear "Hey Niki! Wanna go shoot some pool across the street". Me: "Nah, I'm about to head out." Crazy Man says: "I'm not trying to pick you up, Niki. I got a girl down in Laguna - I just wanna shoot some pool". Me: "No worries but my friend and I are about to take off. See ya later." I wave goodbye and pray that crazy man doesn't break into my house.

So my friend and I come around to the front of my house and we see a guy sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette. I should mention that the man looked very similar to this:

I'm totally freaked out at this point because we just left Crazy Guy #1 only to encounter Crazy Guy #2 who is actually in my front yard! So I say hello and asked if he knew Keith (my neighbor). He says yes and then explains that he is just there to lift some weights and then he's going to leave. I should mention that my neighbor brought home a weight bench & set of weights about two weeks ago and my front yard now resembles a prison yard. He said that the weights are his attempt to get in shape because he's going through a mid-life crisis...no lie. I shake my head and say goodbye to Crazy Man #2.

After my friend and I get back to my place I decide to call AAA to have them change the tire. I could have done it myself but I've paid for AAA for 5 years and never used it so why not try it now? Enter Crazy Man #3 (from Mandic Motors - insert your own joke here). "Yon" was his name and the moment he steps out of the truck I realize that he is RIPPED! It takes him well over an hour to change one tire. By the time that he finished I was pissed because I could have changed it in 15 minutes and I'm not even the professional! Friday night ends and I am exhausted....

So Saturday rolls around and I spent the entire morning running errands - 2 new tires (argh!), oil changes, etc. It's amazing how much there is to do when you are gone for nearly two weeks! At around 2pm I headed to the beach to meet some friends for a volleyball tournament, cook out and campfire at night. So much fun! After the fire, I headed up to Hermosa Beach to visit David who was in town visiting from TN. It was a fun night as we headed downtown and hung out with his brother, sister-in-law & a couple of their friends. Much, much later that night (or morning) Dave and I got to meet an "enchanting" dog. Bet you can't say that you've met one of those....

Sunday was spent napping/relaxing at home and getting ready for the end of the month.

Hmm...I wonder what adventures will be in store for me this week!?

The Great Alaskan....

I think that this is hands down the best name for a strip joint that I have ever seen. Check it out:

In case you are wondering, this place really does exist and no I did not go inside to check it out.

Ayyyy, Matey!

Happy "Talk Like A Pirate Day" everyone!

Random, I know, but I ran across it on the internet and thought I would spread the word!


In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, I found the top 10 pick up lines for the fellas to use on this special occasion (courtesy of TLAPD website):

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlinÂ’, IÂ’m 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?
And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is Â…
1. Prepare to be boarded.

Suck It Up! Boba Tea Co.

Quite the catch line, isn't it?

Last week I found myself in Albuquerque and as always, I had to find something that had a local feel to it. Enter Boba Tea Company. It came highly recommended by a guy that I knew so I figured it was safe. Apparently, Boba Tea Co. is local to the city and offers a unique drink of boba tea. What is boba tea, you ask? Here is the description he gave me: it is tea with balls of tapioca in the bottom of the cup that you suck up through a big straw. Pretty accurate, if you ask me.

Here is what a normal glass of Passion Black Tea w/Boba looks like:


The tea by itself was good. The balls on the other hand took a while to get used to. Check 'em out:

Not only did it feel like you were sucking up a gummy bear through a straw the size of your pinky; but they had kind of a gross aftertaste. I guess that I ordered the wrong drink beacuse it wasn't very good. Guess I'll have to try it again on the next trip...gulp!

My First CA Wildfire

My favorite part of the drive on I-5 North is going by Pyramid Lake. Unfortunately, on my drive earlier this week I saw that a wildfire had broken out in the forest surrounding the lake. Check it out:

Shortly after taking this photo I came around to the back side of the mountain that was completely engulfed with wildfire and smoke. I counted 4 helicopters circling the skies and saw numerous fire trucks en route to the blaze.

One odd thing I noticed is that they have a sign up when you enter the forest saying "Chance of wildfire is "HIGH" today". Ya think?!

Hawaiian Hostels & Broken Showers

One of the great perks of my job is that I get paid to go to Hawaii. That's right - they PAY ME to go to one of the most beautiful places on earth and I love it. The following story is something that could only happen to me ... enjoy.

This past fall I went to Hawaii for work but extended my stay for a few days of vacation. Unwilling to pay $200 a night for a hotel; I decided to check into the local hostel. For the first night I was booked in the dorms. It looks just like it sounds, one room with 2 bunk beds and a bathroom in it. There were three other people already checked into the room but they weren't there so I took this as an opportunity to take a nice, hot shower. It had been a long day and I was exhausted, sunburned and I smelled like sunscreen.

The shower looked a bit sketchy but I wasn't worried because, after all, what could happen? So I jumped in wearing nothing but my flip flops and cranked on the hot water. I waited for a moment but it wasn't hot so I give it another turn. Still cold. I look at it a bit closer and think that maybe the pipe coming from the wall is spinning so I decided to hold that steady and turn the nozzle one last time. Big mistake...

The nozzle (including the pipe that I was holding) comes flying out of the wall and a constant jet stream of water is shooting out of the wall where the nozzle once was. Now, when I say a "jet stream" I am not kidding. Water is shooting out so hard that it is hitting the back wall of the shower! My first reaction was just to laugh because seriously, who else would this happen to!?

So after I died laughing, I decided that I should try to fix this thing. My first approach was to shove the pipe and nozzle back into the wall but of course that didn't work. I only managed to spray water everywhere. Next, I decided to shut off water to the toilet and sink - after all maye I would get lucky and they are somehow connected to the shower. No such luck. When all plans failed I decided to go for help.

I threw on my clothes and frantically bust out of the bathroom only to run into my new roommates. Mind you, I am seeing/meeting them for the first time ever. They happened to be a French girl (bi-lingual) and two French Canadian guys (who spoke zero English). I quickly tried to explain to her that the shower is broken and not to go in the bathroom. She, in turn, is trying to translate to the guys and it suddenly becomes a big fat lost in translation mess. Could this get any worse?

The lady working the counter (a college student from England) said she would come help me. Thinking that it was just a drip from the faucet she opened the door to the bathroom and proceeded to die laughing. She said "there is no way in Hell that i can fix this" and left to get some "real" help. The "real help" ended up being another college kid - who was doubling as the maintenance guy for the week while the real manager was on another island.

Long story short, the kid turned off so many water pipes that it messed up water pressure to the hostel. In all, 15 people came to my aid but none could fix the broken shower nor turn off the water so they ended up calling a real plumber who shut off the water supply to the entire hostel for the next 2 hours.

At the time, I was so embarrassed but I must admit that it was quite the ice breaker. We all ended up sitting around drinking beer and exchanging embarrassing stories for the rest of the night.

Ahh, the memories....

Roadside America

This is an actual water tower that I happened across in the city of Kingsburg, CA:

I was so intrigued by it that I took a photo and decided to look it up on the internet when I got home. Turns out, there is a whole webpage dedicated to coffee pot/tea pot designed water towers across the US. Who knew?!

Something else that is kind of funny - several offbeat things that I have "discovered" in my travels are listed on a website called Roadside America which claims to be 'Your Online Guide To Offbeat Tourist Attractions'.

Beware: I think that I may be a direct descendant of Clark W Griswald...

San Diego Bay

This past Friday night I had to opportunity to go out on a private chartered yacht for the evening. After fighting rush hour traffic all the way from LA to San Diego I was ready to kick back and relax! We boarded around 6pm and headed out for a three hour tour of the bay. Enjoy the photos:

Boats in the harbor:

The city from the bay:

While we were sailing through the bay we got a close up view of The Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. Here are some of the ships that they had in the dry docks for maintenance and repairs:

And my favorite photo from the evening is this shot of the Coronado Bridge.

It was a fantastic night and I can't wait until I get the chance to do it again.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit San Diego I would certainly suggest that you do it. The city is amazing - so much charm & character that you are sure to fall in love with it. I know that I have....

Snakes On A Plane

This last weekend I went with some friends to go see Snakes On A Plane.

I must first clarify that we did not go see the movie because we thought it was going to be good. It was quite the opposite - we went because we knew it was going to be awful and good for a few laughs. Simply stated, it was everything we thought it would be and we were not disappointed. Especially with the strategically placed snake bites....totally ridiculous!

The absolute best part of the movie was this line:

Imagine a whole (or at least 1/4 full) theatre of people screaming that line with Samuel L Jackson! Immediately after we all broke out with cheers, applause and many laughs. So much fun!

The snakes on the other hand, not so fun. I'm petrified of them to be quite honest and spent half the movie hunched down in my seat with my hands covering my eyes. I think I even screamed a few times - but C'mon, there's snakes on a plane! Who wouldn't scream?! I'm a total girl, I know....

Oh and did I mention that you can have Samuel L Jackson call one of your friends? Whoever thought of this is brilliant! Not to mention, it actually works. Enjoy!

Andy Warhol's Dream America

About a month ago I was at the San Diego Museum of Art and they had an exhibit for Andy Warhol's Dream America. I must admit that I was totally drawn in and intrigued by it all. The Marilyn Monroe print has always been a favorite of mine and is one of his most recognizable images:

While I was admiring this screen print, I leaned in to read a bit about it. Needless to say, I was floored when I read this:

"As the public is subjected to this constant stream of images, the effect is one of indifference to the original meaning and historical context associated with the depicted figures or events. Warhol capitalized on this effect, turning Marilyn Monroe into a permanent icon of sexuality, rather than a star whose life tragically ended in apparent suicide."

Isn't that so true?! When you look at this photo, what do you see? A glamorous star of days gone by or a suicidal woman?

Another quote that stuck with me was this:

"And your own life while it's happening to you never has any atmosphere until it's a memory." Andy Warhol, America, 1985

Interesting, isn't it?

Camarillo Air Show

The Camarillo Air Show was today and I got to catch a little bit of it. After seeing some impressive stunts while sitting on the interstate in traffic, I decided to pull off and take in about an hour of the show. Hope you enjoy the photos:

This plane (above) did some amazing maneuvers! Here he is after I think he did a Barrel Roll:

And I believe this guy had just done a Hamerhead Turn:

It was truly amazing at how much control these guys had over their aircrafts; even when it looked as though they were spiraling out of control. It looked like they were having so much fun that it made me want to be up there with them! Seriously, I've already jumped out of a plane so how bad could aerobatics be?

The Road To Yuma

This past week I took a quick trip over to Yuma, AZ and as always, I brought along my camera. So for those of you who have never took a trip on the 8 West to AZ - these photos are for you.

I've never seen electric windmills in real life until I moved to California. There are a few on the way to AZ but if you ever make it out to Palm Springs, CA you will see thousands of them!

Next up is the trip through the rocky mountain range:

This is also where you can check out the Desert View Tower . I would recommend having someone else with you if you decide to check it out - it's a bit too creepy to go it alone.

One thing that I love about AZ is the amazing sunsets:

And for those of you who have never been stopped by the US Border Patrol, this is what it looks like:

Thankfully the Border Patrol Cop didn't yell at me this time! Just a friendly chat and then I was on my way. I did, however, get to see a girl hauled away from her car in handcuffs though.

Never a dull moment....

Another "Only In California" Moment

So I'm driving on the 101 North through Santa Barbara and traffic suddenly slows down. We're cruising along at about 45 mph when I look over at the car next to me and what should I see?

THE LADY DRIVING THE CAR WAS LIGHTING A BONG!!

I couldn't help but stare and I'm pretty sure that my jaw had dropped open as well. All of the sudden I realized that she and her 3 passengers were all staring back at me. I quickly looked away and tried to register what I just saw. When the shock finally wore off I decided that I didn't want to be anywhere near that car and sped off as quickly as I could.

Looking back at this I can only shake my head and chalk it up as another "Only in California" moment.

A Strange Mix Of Events

This past Saturday I ventured out from behind the orange curtain to visit my friend Stephanie who lives near LA.

We started out by hitting up Ciaoti Pizza Cafe in Studio City for some lunch. They have a great variety of pizzas that are definitely not run of the mill. We went for the Buffalo Pizza - consisting of Jacks Hot Sauce for a base with real buffalo meat, onions and cheese. Neither of us had ever tried buffalo before and we were both pleasantly surprised. We also tried "The THE Salad" which was amazing. With a Coke Light on the side it a great lunch for a decent price.

Next we headed over to The Gilded Rose Manor Tea House to pick up some loose leaf tea.

I've never really been to a Tea House before so this was all new territory to me. Everything was decorated in a Victorian style which translates into flowers, lace, pink, purple and lots of delicate china like this:

We were just going to go buy some tea and leave but we got there just as they were beginning the 3.30 tea service. Since we weren't really pressed for time we decided to stay for afternoon tea. Yes, that is correct, I had afternoon tea and here is the photo to prove it:

After tea we met up with a couple of friends and headed over to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a viewing of Psycho. A local organization called Cinespia shows a different movie there every Saturday night and it's obviously very popular! Due to heavy traffic we got there around 7 and stood in a line with about 1000 other people . Unfortunately the movie sold out and left about 500 of us to improvise. We all had a good time by spreading out blankets and eating picnics outside the cemetery walls. I did have photos of this but you'll have to use your imagination because for some reason it's not letting me upload them...sorry!

All of this talk about scary movies and cemeteries reminds me of Halloween! Hmm...what should I dress up as this year?

Land Of 10,000 Lakes

One interesting thing that I realized on my vacation is that I never really gave life in Minnesota a fair chance. After several years away from it, I can truly say that I enjoy going home to visit.

My week of vacation went by far too quick but I still managed to cram a lot of fun things into the time that I had. We went to the awesome 80's prom, threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law, went to a pool party for my 2 cousins 16th birthdays, visited with my grandma, had lunch with a cousin I hadn't seen in 5 years, drove the "Mafia car", saw Talladega Nights (hilarious!), and spent a couple of days camping and fishing. I even caught this monster of a sunfish:

One thing that always cracks me up is that when my mom & I go anywhere people always comment on how much I look like her:

And to think, my brother used to try and convince me that I was adopted. Nice try!

The Awesome 80's Prom

This last weekend I went to the prom...The Awesome 80's Prom!

It's an interactive play where you step back in time to the Wanaget High Class of 1989 Senior Prom. I'm not sure who had better costumes, the actors or some of the audience members! The cast consisted of all your typical high school stereotypes: the jock, the geek, the cheerleader, the Asian foreign exchange student, etc. The even threw in the Swiss beauty who spent the night doing the splits in front our table...which I think the guys enjoyed a bit too much. A majority of the drama was centered around who would be crowned the next homecoming king and queen. Hilarious! And then there was the surprise performance from Prince:

Overall we had a great time. We danced with the cast, talked about our plans after graduation and we even got scolded by the principal. The one benefit of going to this prom? They serve wine & beer...

The Cherry On Top

I'm done with Phoenix. I'm exhausted. This week has been one thing after another, including this:

Not to mention, I am sick of hearing the news anchors attempt to scare everyone to death about The Baseline Killer and the Serial Shooter.

I'm over it.

4 Star Resort? Not So Much...

One of the amazing things about Phoenix in the summer is that the hotel rates for 4 Star resorts are ridiculously low. This is the one time of year that I get to live in luxury which helps make up for the 114 degree heat.

Yesterday afternoon I checked into my room and I couldn't have been happier. A king sized bed. A poolside room. An insanely comfortable bed. I am in heaven.

At 1.30 I turn out the lights and get some much needed sleep. At 4.30am I hear it. The dreaded fire alarm. Just my luck. After about 10 minutes of this thing going off I decided to evacuate. Funny thing is that there were no firetrucks or employees of the hotel to be found. Just 100 guests with bedhead standing around in their pajamas. It's now 90 degrees outside and the concrete was still hot.

After about 15 minutes and still no sign of anyone from the hotel or firetrucks, we headed inside. One hotel employee comes out of nowhere and just stands at the desk as if nothing was wrong! A guy finally goes up and has to ask what was going on and the employee says that it was a false alarm and that we could go back to our rooms. "The alarms will be turned off momentarily" he assures us.

I found some earplugs that I travel with and try to get some rest. Didn't happen. The alarm stayed on for the next hour and a half! At 6am I finally fell asleep only to be awakened by my alarm 20 minutes later. Argh.

Fast forward to this evening and the monsoon that is happening outside my window. I don't know how this is possible but there is water dripping into my room and I'm on second of three floors. How is this possible? Once again, I am kept from my precious sleep ... when will this insanity end?!

I am so ready for vacation next week!

July 21, 2006 - The One Year Mark

It's hard to believe but just one short year ago, I drove into Huntington Beach ready to start my new life. Oh. My. Gosh. Where has the time gone?! It feels like just yesterday I arrived at my tiny little apartment and wondered what in the hell I had done. Why did I abandon the life I had loved so much in TN? Why did I sell my house? Why did I give up my dog? Was I going to be able to succeed in my new position? I never had a desire to live in California so what made me decide to make this move?

Well, looking back, it was the hardest year but probably the best year of my life. I've had a lot of fun, a lot of heartache, and a lot of time to do some real soul searching. If I've learned nothing else from this past year, I've learned who I really am, what I want out of life, and most importantly how important my family and friends are to me.

Not to mention, I get to see sunsets like this every night:


A friend of mine said that a life change of this sort would either make you more fearful or it would make you a much more grounded/confident person. I'm just thankful that it was the latter that happened to me. I have realized that we are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for - especially if we have faith.

Cowboy Up

This weekend marked another first for me - the rodeo! I found myself at the biggest rodeo in the state of California! So big that they pronounce rodeo as "row-day-oh". No lie.

This is the event of the year in Salinas, CA and the entire town goes crazy. I've never seen so many cowboy hats, wranglers and handlebar mustaches in my life! The city was sold out of hotel rooms, all of the store window fronts were painted in a rodeo theme and you could find signs like this everywhere:

I never realized that they had so many events at a rodeo: a stunt horse rider, 5 well trained stunt dogs, barrel racing, roping, bull riding, bareback riding, and bullfighting just to name a few. The bull riders were my favorite by far. Check it out:

These guys are crazy!

Luckily I didn't see any of the riders get seriously injured but I did see a lot of this:

For the grand finale they brought out the bull fighters. These guys have to be the bravest or dumbest people I have ever seen. Dressed up as clowns, they willing put themselves within touching distance of a bull and dance around in front of their faces. All the while dodging the bulls attempts to kill them.

This was the only bull fighter that used the barrel as a prop in his "show". If you look closely, you can see the rodeo clown rolled up inside of that barrel. After I shot this picture, the bull fighter standing jumped on top of the barrel and ran down the bulls back!

It was amazing....and I loved every minute of it!