A Day in Santa Cruz

Wow, I gotta say it was HoT Here today! 92! that is hot for Santa Cruz. I thought it was warm yesterday when Davin and I went to Cafe Pergolesi for a cool drink (See above) but this was strange! I looked up the record high for the month of September, and it was 107, that was in 1971. There's only been ONE day of fog here since 5 came 2 weeks ago. (which bumms me, since any one who knows me knows I love the fog) And today does mark excatly weeks (*scratches head* wow and I thought it'd been like a month at least.)

I took the doggies for a walk, with Davins girlie, out along West Cliff, and about the sandy cliffs. While we were out we saw a bobcat at Natrual Bridges Nature Park. (It's where all the monarchs travel through while migrating.) Which I thought was odd since it was about 2pm. and did I mention that it was hot!?

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541

The dogs were pooped so we took them home. They passed out, we ate some figgs and decided that we were not done walking. So we headed out, and so glad that we did, as it was a beautiful evening! Wednesday nights there is a sailboat regatta. Commonly known as the "wed. night beer race."



we walked down to the peir and saw a stellar moon rise and also watched some pelicans dive for the schools of sardines that were gathering about the peir. There were also quiet a gang of seals about also. and I did my duty and barked at them like a good girl. I was then acosted my some boy from jersey that was like , "Holy shit, damn! Look at them seals......shiiiiiiit. Ya' don't see many of them in New Jersey!" He then attempted to have a conversation with me in his wanna be "wigger" accent. I pulled a "Jenn" and just turned my back on him and started petting the dog. Thanks Jenn for teaching me that you can just "ignore them, they WILL go away."

RennFaire and Stuff.

So I spent the weekend at the Renn Faire, again. And it was fun as usual....and as usual. I am very tired today. I don't know how the people who have to go to WORK today even cope. We left friday night as always. Late. (After playing some Wii mind you) Got to bed/camp after midnight, and it was drizzling.... and by morning it was raining. Hard. So hard infact, that i decided that the best way to deal with deep puddles of mud, was that I should be barefoot. So I got up and trapsed around in a scarf, beenie, hoodie, and rain coat with a trusty warm cup of coffee. And truged about with the rest of the workers at Fair. Though it was not my fate, i did see some very large brested and well coesetted women slip and fall into the mud. It was a funny sight honestly, they took it well. It was decided that we wouldn't open until 12pm......then as the rain continued. The Fair was called. It is advertised as happening "rain or shine" but the mud was very slick and was deemed to be a physical hazard. We ARE in california and the last thing anyone needed was to be sued for someone slipping in the mud and getting hurt. So some of us came up with a plan for the day. We decided to go and see the movie 3:10 to YUMA......cowboy movie. Christian Bale.



http://www.310toyumathefilm.com/

It was OK. The only thing to make it worth watching.....was the acting. and if anything is going to save a movie, it should be the acting. That's what it is all about anyway right? The Basic plot was good also....it was just a little to ambigious for a Western for me....

After the movie we all drove to a friends house in San Jose and had Megs Bachlorette Party. It was fun, I had a good time. but again didn't get home until late. 3am to be exact.


(Irony is that Meg in that photo...is drinking water. Yes she was a boozer and had THREE, no FOUR glasses of H2O!!)

And Due to some food poisioning that Megan got. I had to open "soapsmith" alone. Which was fine but it ment that I would be getting up at 7am.....less than 4 hours of sleep. again. SO all things considered, I think I held up well. And Meg was chipper after she got up. Much to my suprise. She "was a trooper" as my mom would say.



Today, I am tired, and having algeries. I am, forgottenly, alergic to birds, and forgot that I will be living with one. Oh well. I think the animal count in this house is as follows
2 dogs, 3 ferrets, 2 bunnies, a snake, a skink, and sevreal fish tanks including a Koi pond. Oh and a turttle and a bird. Quite a bunch. SO i am on clariton, benadryll, and Airborne. Gotta love anithistamines.....gehhhhh



I love this photo: I am always amazed.. because there are always people standing on the cliff edges. and people often fall into the water. even today, there were 3 people on the cliff edge to the left of this sign. Read into "Changing comditions may exist" to meen, beware of eathquakes, strong winds and giant waves.

and so, THAT, was my weekend. More or less. The weekely forcast is as usual, a high of 70 with fog in the morning, and a low of 40 in the night.

Week One Closing

Ok, so let me just say, that today marks my first full week in Santa Cruz, and it has just flown by. I thought I was going to have a nice and quiet weekend, WRONG, and a nice quiet monday, WRONG, and a nice chill tuesday, WRONG. Ha! It has been fun. Thursday I rode my bike about, friday I did some emaily work stuff and then got the call invite to go and work at the Renn. Fair Near Casa de Fruta in CA.

http://www.norcalrenfaire.com/

Meg, Savi, Davin, and myself all went up friday night, late (2am) to set up camp for the weekend. Be up by 8am and in full costume and ready by 10. It was a blast! I had the pleasure of meeting many of megs friends and had a fun time seeing what she has spent years doing. We were working at The Soapsmith.

http://www.nomenclaturebath.com/docent-chemistry.htm

Which was so much fun. I mean, How could it not be!? One of my closest friends, neigh, sister. Whom I have known and been friends with for 27 years and counting. Dressed in rennassance clothing and heckeling people. Oh man it was great! Eaxusting but great! We were up late saturday night, and to be honest I know that I likly got less than six hours of sleep from friday night through sunday. We worked about 12 hours the first day, hawking fancy soaps to filthy people. and speaking in accents. and then only about 4 hours sunday. So sunday was spent milling about the grounds and socializing. and checking on people with massive hangovers. When we finished closing down shop for the week we all went to casa de fruta dinner and ate some dinner and said good bye to people for the week. it was a great time, and I promis to have photos next time. Since I will be going again this weekend.

We got home sunday night about 10:30pm. I was BEAT! I crawled into the shower to wash 3 days worth of grime off my body (as there are sinks only, cold water only, to wash with) and when I hoped out of the shower who should be pulling into the drive way by Kt and Aaron. Home from S. Cali. (They'd spent the weekend at 2 seprate weddings partying their socks off as well) Kt had forgoten her keys so called me to come downstairs to let she and Aaron into the house. about 11:30pm at this point. We all then crashed into a deep sleep.

II was feeling quiet ill monday morning, from all the dust and lack of sleep over the weekend. And decided that a nice climb on my bike was what I needed. So I climbed up empire grade for an hour....yes. it is an hour long climb. it could have been longer, but I flipped around as I was running out of steam as well as water. and then decended for about 30min.

That day was kicking my butt so much so that by six pm I TRYED to take a nap...gave up and walked down to the ocean to see the sun set over the water. Lovly as ususal.




When I got back to the house there was a full swing cockatil party happening to which I was very underdressed. They quiet cleaned out the liquer cabinate. (I gave up and went to sleep about 10:30pm, but I think everyone else was up quite past midnight)






Tuesday.....woke up at nine and helped Kt wash and dry the glass ware from the night before, and there was quiet a bit of it. let me tell you. Then I went on a bike ride just out to capitola and back, quick and beautiful. By the time I returned we were leaving to meet up with a friend and get burger in the best joint in town, Jacks Burgers......they are awesome and many a lunch during highschool was spent here. As well as a post H2O Polo practice spent stuffing face with tasty grilled burgers and fresh fries. Ohhhh sooo good.



There was a second dinner party last night (tuesday) and I again left for bed about 10pm....though I think that they were up until about 1am.....which musta sucked since Kt and Aaron were trying to leave by 5am....though they finnaly got out by 6am off to Portland. I hope that they have a nice drive. it is a beautiful day.

Driving....a 12 hour trip in 10 hours.

Yep...it's just after 5 am and thankfully I am not driving. It is Wed the 12th of September and I am on my way to Santa Cruz, CA with on of my best friends, Kt, and her boy. Thank the heavens I am not driving, since the world looked like this to me. (the above photo) and I was totally disfunctional. After staying up late and only getting 4 hours of sleep. Surly, would best discribe my mood.

I was in the back seat of a PT Cruiser. Kt's. And we'd managed to fit all my stuff and more into the car....two boxes, six bags and my cyclo cross bike as well as two wheel sets. I fell asleep on my backpack in one of those akward "i'm still wearing my seatbelt with my feet on the floor and my upper body lying down" poses. I was awoken long enough to get a Vanilla Latte at about six am. The world didn't look muck better.


The drive through OR was awesome though, low lying myst and fog, jutting mountians and fields. Really beautiful. The drive went by fairly quickly and I got lucky enough to gte out of driving, awesome. We only did 2 five min stops....gas. Piss. H2O. And soon we were in CA...

The drive was a few more hours through CA but it seemed to go quicker than most of thr drive, I guess because names become famillar.


That was it. and when we got to the Semas' house. It was a happy moment. Kt's parents rock, and are some of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of knowing.

Westward Ho!

Ok so.....July was spent wrapping things up in Nebraska, I had planned on leaving by mid July anyway, but it would seem that I had to leave at the end of July, due to being bitten by a bat in a coffee shop on Main Street Chadron. (July 2nd) Which resulted in 4 weeks of rabies shots! Day one alone I recived 7 shots; 4 in my hand, (Most painfull shot/needle expreiance EVER) one in each butt cheek (Man my ass was sore!) and one in my arm....bleh. and then again 2 days later and then one every monday for the next 4 weeks. Pain. I was sick with rabies vaccines for a month. Which was annoying. There is (as of yet) no cure for rabies in humans yet once the virus goes active. It will kill humans within 12 days of activation and can lay dormint for up to 7 months. So mid Feb 2008, i shall have a "Bat Bite" party, because I will still be alive.

CDC Notice on Rabies:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/bats_&_rabies/bats&.htm

SO after rabies Vaccines were done (which effected my proposed road trip with my aunt, whom I was planning on driving west with, I ended up flying to PDX) i left on an airoplane for Portlandia, July 25th, 2007. I couch surfed with some awesome people in SE Portland. And landed a fantastic house/dog sitting job in NE Portland. Watching after two hillarious doggies. Izzie and Bodhi;



So I spent from Auguest 9th to September 9th being doggie nanny to these two pups. They were 11 months old and had their year birthdays just before I had to go. (Their owners had gone on a trip in Costa Rica.) It was a lot of fun, test driving other peoples dogs, and playing in the "dog park." I had a great time. I think the doggies did too.

While In portland I had the pleasure of getting to the coast and going hiking. Outdoor bouldering and some fun cycling with Portland Vello. A recreational club that had a ride every day of the week at 9am. it was nice. We rode into washington one day, and up the Louis and Clark gorge another time. it was fun. and the riders were decent.

Portland Velo site and Calendar: http://www.portlandvelo.net/




I enjoyed my time in portland quite a bit, it was routine living for the most part. Wake, eat, ride bike/boulder, walk dogs, eat, sleep, repeat.....there is good coffee and the people are nice. But it seems expensive as far as housing. I mean people are paying a lot for the "hipster" life and lable in portland in a town that really isn't all that "hip." It was pretty white bread, coming from Philadelphia. The last 2 weeks my friend Kt and I discovered a fantasitc maki sushi at out fave sushi place...
Masu Sushi: http://www.masusushi.com/masu-east.html
And ordered Wasabi Tobiko, oh man talk about noes burnning wasabi sensations, this stuff is like drugs!

(I have my second family "The Tittles" to thank for my first intro to the burn of Wasabi, my best friend put some on a pice of Nori and was like....try some it's good. I poped the teaspoon side lump of green in my mouth chewed and promptly grabbed my face and squinted my eyes...."gahhhhh" is the best word for the sensation. Thanks Meg)

And Other than good seafood/sushi and coffee....not a lot to do. You can drink beer, quality and local brewed....Drink Coffee and go to shows......I guess it was nice enough, just not for me. If I wanted to live in the eco-hippie-hipster college beer drinking environ, I would move back to Santa Cruz, at lest SC has an amazing coast line and more local and accessable nature. The Score: Portland....Good, but not for me.

Consequently, I am in Santa Cruz now....no kidding. How did this happpen??

South Dakoda / Rushmore

So in earily July my friend Galen flew out to Nebraska, from Portland. Flew into the small airport of Chadron and landed in the wheat field that the landing strip is on. Made it through the hellish terminal! HA, no. it's just a couple of people, one building airport. The staff at the airport is awesome, and will drive you to you destination if you are stuck. The woman who checks you in is also the person who loads your bags and vaccumes the 19 seater Beach Craft Turbo Prop plane. They also de-ice the runway and the plane, scrape the bat guano out of the hanger and place the safety cards in their holders. Basicly they are all of the staff. The Airport staff is only 2 people at a time! They are awesome.

We'd decided to go to the Black Hills of South Dakoda during his trip. See Mt. Rushmore and take in some nature at custar state park. The Drive to SD is about an hour and about three total to Rushmore. We stoped in Hot Springs on our way, had some breakfast. Hot Springs is awesome, small, and very picturesque. It's nesteled inbetween a bunch od red rocks cut into the form of a gulch by a river that run through the town. Natural Hot springs run through. Obviously, the name....hot springs. There used to be a lot of them but because of commerce two brother dammage all the hot springs but one and built a pool (Evans Plungs) on it so that they had control of the springs and the tourism.

On our way out of hot springs we drove through the state park and saw, more or less, most of the advertized animals. Buffalo, Antalope, Deer, Eagles, Prarrie Dogs, and wild donkeys. The donkeys really do stick their heads into you window. which freaks me out. I guess people feed them. There were a whole set of tourists that were putting their children ON the donkeys.....ummm excuse me Sir, they are WILD donkeys.....there's sings that say dont touch, pet, feed, or annoy the animals all over the park...christ!

The drive through the state park was beautiful and took about two hours, winding though some amazin landscape and through mountians. Very breath taking. Epic almost. The top Photo was take in Needled Park....the hiking there is great, So is the driving, but the drivers leave something to be disired, imagine rubber necking tourists driving into a one lane tunnel and causing a traffic jam with the other one way traffic, both not wanting to move for fear of messing up their travel plans. lame. But after it all you end up here: Rushmore. Which is quite neet. Especially since you can walk up under Washintons noes and get a good look into it.


We drove back through the needles, and while there stoped for a swim in the epic waters of Sylvan Lake. Then we drove home. But on our way we had some awesome pie at The Purple Pie Palace...Custar SD. Oh man, the pie!

Family in the West

So this is my nephew Aeryk, and Myself, in Steamboat Springs in the beginning on July. My Aunt lives there and most of the family came out for a graduation party for my cousins. It was fun and exausting. I am sure they would all say the same. My family loves eachother, but we also exaust eachother. (for ex. i didn't get coffie one morning because all my attempts were efficently empited into the dishwasher time and again when I left the room.)

My nephew was out to my parents: Nebraska, for a month, which was great! We made a dinosaur party and had farting contests. I think he won on loudness but I won on stinkyness.....ha ha. But the Black Sulpher Spring of Steamboat, kicked both our butts!



Both my gradmonthers were there (nebraska) for fathers day, super cool. I don't see my one GM because she lives in S. Cali. and to be honest. I just dont like going there. I love the fam, but S. Cali. is kinda overwhelming for me.

The drive from my parents was about 7 hours and beautiful. It's amazing countryside and we come in through Wyoming. Another looked over state. I spent a lot of my teenage years in Steamboat living with my aunt and uncle and having Camp Sasak for sevreal summers in a row. Three, I belive, where i learned to fix fence, care for horses and dogs, ride, camp, and sleep in trailers. I also learned that mu Uncle Larry maked the meanist chilly beans ever.....burn your lips off and they taste great!



The above photo is three of my aunts, it was really hot there and Marrianne decided that she should get the hose.....it was a great idea and I think we all ended up hoseing off that afternoon. My uncles cooked steaks; bloody and the size of a plate and that was awesome....because i love meat.

love it.

The Great Plains of our own MidWest

So I spent most of the spring into the summer in Whitney Nebreaska. Pop 87 at last count. But the fact is that my parents dont even live IN Whitney, they live 15 miles out in the country from there. The photo with this blog is the driveway to our house. It's about 1.3 miles from our home to the mail box.

So I spent from May 2nd through the 25th of July in Nebraska. It was great, so quiet. I loves sleeping at night and hearing the Coyotes howl and play through the spring, and you could hear their pups too. Stars so bright that they cast a shadow on the grass even in a new moon. It was a crazy animal adventure couple of months. I went hiking and biking. Swiming in lakes and lounging in hamocks. I worked quite a lot, did a lot of drawings, and enjoyed getting to spend time with my parents and grandmother.

On the Road

Ok so mom and I were off.....driving across Pennslyvania and Ohio, Illinois, and other lakes states...stopping at The Duch Pantry, staying in hotels and swimming in pools. I had a great time, the whole thing too about 4-5 days, I think. (iCal says 5) and it was a beautiful drive. It was spring every where and flowers and sunshine. fantastic weather. All in all a beautiful drive. We say amish buggie drivers and the mississippi river. Got eaten by mosquitoes and hit on by police men. It was a riot. Had some awseom grilled shrimp in LeClaire, Illinois and went house hunting in Avoca, Indianna. Where the the prices are still reasonable for amazing homes. However, I don't think I am quiet ready to live in a small town in Indianna yet. nope not yet.



It was fun logging so much time on the road in such nice weather, I had done the drive before but it was in January with my good friend Joe, and it was often snowing and icy, stressfull and cold. Not like this at all.
we also stopped by some road side attractions, such as King Kog Burgers, largest ball of string and Aurthr NE wooden Jail house. There were a lot of rainbows and some rain showers. much singing in the car and laughing. I also probably ate more than my share of candy, but heck, what'cha gunna do, it's a road trip. right?



We finnaly arrived in nebraska and when we were driving down out 1.2 mile long driveway we saw a cow starting to birth a calve and it was really cool. The next day the Mare had a baby foal also, so there were all kindas of cute fuzzy babbies bouncing aroung welcoming me to my new tempoarry home.


The plan was that I would move to Portland, OR. So I'd planned to go out to portland and visit and them move. Which sort of happened (seeing as I am now wrighting this from Portland) but it took some time and some money and...well.....you'll see.

...

SO... there were a couple things that had to be done before I moved, the usual bills and rent and packing and all that. But the biggest snag was that I'd JUST adopped a dog not 2 weeks before the decision to move came into being. Attilla. I'd found him at the Morris Animal Rescue on 13th and Lombard in the beginning of April. I needed a friend and had wanted a dog for some time and thought that this was the time. I got approval from the Landlords and took him home. Attilla had been living on the streets for some time and was kinda rough around the edges but a good dog. We worked hard on training and I spent more time with him than most people do (being that I work from home and obsess over things) and he was becoming ver well trained for a puppy of 1 year. But, I relized that in moving I couldn't be taking him, I didn't know where I was moving too and I did know that he's be with me at my parents, they already have two surly doggies and I didn't wanna have to move him a bunch and, well, there were a lot of other reasons as well, so I found him an awesome home with a woman in Philadelphia who could love him and take great care of him. I miss him every day, but the woman who took him home is awesome and she emails me about him almost once a month.

The start

Ok so this is a short intro to me, and what the heck is going on with me. I WAS living in Philedelphia, PA untill the end of April 2007, that's this year. When mom mom called me and asked if I was ready to move. She's fly out and pack me up and move me out (Since I'd been talking about it for months, possibly years, since I'd graduated College) I said "Give me until the end of the day, I'll let you know.
So I walked the dog and thought about it, wen't climbing and layed in the spring grass in Washington Sq., called mom and said "let's do this!" with in the week I was gone. Poof! Mom and I we're off to Nebraska, we;d rented a mini van with the "fold into the floor" seats and packed it full of my suff.....off we wen't driving across country to their home in the N.W. of Nebraska.