I'm back!
Finally!So I'll start at the end of the trip, because that totally makes sense for the telling. Er, not so much? That's okay, it's my blog and I do what I want :)
Knowing that we had a full day of travel ahead of us, we started off with a very healthy breakfast.
This little chocolaterie is amazing, but you're not allowed to take pictures inside. Weird, huh? Yes, I thought so too.
We got on the road soon afterward, kissing adorable Los Gatos goodbye (figuratively, of course, and more to come about the awesomeness of that town in a future post). Starting out, the road was lined by gorgeous and ancient trees.
After awhile, the landscape flattened and became decidedly less green and more brown and yellow (not to mention more and more and more warm)
T drove along and I did this:
(a project I started working on before he was born for a little one who's now a few months old. Expedient, that's my middle name...) Also, notice that bright, glaring light on my hands? It was the sun, but of course. The car's thermometer was reading 100 degrees, plus or minus five...
And it was getting hotter.
12:47pm: the air conditioner stops working.
We still have four hours to go.
Trees and shade are nowhere to be seen.
I start peeling off layers, as does T.
We're down to the smallest amount of clothing possible (while in public), and still becoming delirious from the heat.
How in the world did people cross the CA mountains before air conditioning? Whew!
If you know me at all, you know that when I am deprived of sleep, I turn into a bear. My gorgeous boy does not share this trait. However, he turns into a bear when he's too hot.(remind me never to go on a tropical vacation with him)
(see that scowl in the background?...)
(just kidding. I'd go anywhere with him. Duuuhhh. That's what slurpees are for. Yes, I know they probably have high fructose corn syrup. Desperate times call for desperate measures.)
(clearly my attempts at lightening the mood via silly pictures were unsuccessful)
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(it's really hot)---
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(we're grumpy)---
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Finally, that was it! The decision was made. We could see the water from our spot on the highway....
Screw it. We're goin to the beach.
So, we pulled off the highway, followed some "beach access" signs, and paid a gazillion dollars for sunblock here:
And after I'd smeared the greasy and undoubtedly pore-clogging mixture into my face, we decided to trash the beach idea, loaded up on refrigerated water and got back on the highway. So we did.
...hours passed....
And once the highway started getting clogged rush-hour style (and the temperature did NOT go down), we decided to beat the heat and traffic, and hang out for awhile.
We were passing through Santa Barbara about then, so we drove into downtown and caught dinner at the Natural Cafe (amazing, by the way).
(very healthy on my end - veggie chili dog, and T's very unhealthy salad...)
Our buddy James stopped by and we chatted, T made another friend,
and then we made our way over to the Metro 4 to see this movie:
...how was it?...
Two words:
Holy. Crap.
I'll do a review post soon, don't you worry.
(if you can't wait, see it. Immediately.)
After we emerged from the theater bleary eyed and reminding ourselves that there is not actually a gigantic alien spaceship hovering above Johannesburg (ok maybe it was just me, I'm pretty sure that T was significantly more balanced), we got back on the road.
Once would think that traffic had gone.
Not so much.
But we stuck it out and were rewarded with some spectacular sunset views:
And a couple of hours later, we pulled into maison a la Redondo Beach.
Home sweet home.
It's good to be back.
Oh, and by the way, the big road trip starts a month from last night.
Fitting, I say.
Today's quote:
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
~ Mary Oliver
After grabbing smoothies to fight the sun-drunkenness dehydration (I still had a "hangover" by 5...)
T's Overlook
(these were taken from the 405 at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon)
This little chocolaterie is amazing, but you're not allowed to take pictures inside. Weird, huh? Yes, I thought so too.
After awhile, the landscape flattened and became decidedly less green and more brown and yellow (not to mention more and more and more warm)
(a project I started working on before he was born for a little one who's now a few months old. Expedient, that's my middle name...) Also, notice that bright, glaring light on my hands? It was the sun, but of course. The car's thermometer was reading 100 degrees, plus or minus five...
And it was getting hotter.
We still have four hours to go.
Trees and shade are nowhere to be seen.
(just kidding. I'd go anywhere with him. Duuuhhh. That's what slurpees are for. Yes, I know they probably have high fructose corn syrup. Desperate times call for desperate measures.)
-----------------
And after I'd smeared the greasy and undoubtedly pore-clogging mixture into my face, we decided to trash the beach idea, loaded up on refrigerated water and got back on the highway. So we did.
(very healthy on my end - veggie chili dog, and T's very unhealthy salad...)
and then we made our way over to the Metro 4 to see this movie:
But we stuck it out and were rewarded with some spectacular sunset views:
And a couple of hours later, we pulled into maison a la Redondo Beach.
The move will include a cross-country drive with stops in Arizona, Texas, Florida, and one or both of the Carolinas.
(Above: video chatting with the PA folks on Sunday evening)
(no explanation needed for this, obviously)
(M and I at our booth at the Gas Lite in Santa Monica)
(A half hour later he MAY have sang Dancing in the Dark and I MAY have been onstage with him, Courtney Cox style)
(so ashamed....)
(with friends a la maison RB on Saturday night)
(he gets to eat a muffin, drink a coffee and read an interesting book (Blink, if you're curious). I get to read the DSM-IV desk reference and drink...hot...water. So much fun.)
She seemed like she really wanted to. And I didn't know that bulldogs could make faces like that.
Guys, touché.
I won't mention that you don't find many couples celebrating anything near their 25th anniversary here....oh wait, I just did...
(if I had a nickel for every time I softly said "ooooh Rudy, if you were my dog...")
