Flashback Friday

The first weekend I stayed over when out in California, I drove down to Santa Cruz, just to check it out. It had actually snowed there and somebody made a snowman on the boardwalk there....it didn't last long, but it was fun to see.

I've been in my house for a whole week now.... Do I miss California, some but I'm SOO happy to have this place that I can really, really call my own!!

What I'll Miss.....

People keep asking me "Aren't you going to miss this?" as they point to something while bringing up the fact that I'm moving. And since my time here is limited (8 weeks from today the movers arrive....5 more Mondays, 3 more Tuesdays, 6 more Wednesday - Fridays), I decided on my drive home that I would address this question and list what I will miss about California.

First, addressing the question... Yes, there are certain aspects of California that I will miss. On the other hand, there are a number of things that I will not miss.... but that isn't what this is about. Here's some of the things that I'll miss, and I confess that I'm stealing some of these from the Queen:

1. The fog coming over the mountains
2. Walking to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building
3. Easy access to the wine country
4. The weather since it is pretty consistent and runs on the cooler side
5. The fog wrapping the city in a cool cotton blanket
6. My friends and their families
7. LaBelle's Spa for massages and their comfy, comfy robes
8. Tahoe, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and the drives there
9. KFog - radio station
10. Friends and family coming to visit, but this way I'll have friends come East to visit me now
11. My Primary Care Physician.... she is really great and I feel very comfortable with her
12. My quilt store... I learned how to do long arm quilting there and they are really nice ladies
13. Monterey Bay Aquarium, even though I only went there once
14. All the great parks around and the great views
15. Camping with friends
16. Horseback riding in the Santa Cruz mountain area
17. Taking the Ferry to Sausalito
18. All the great restaurants
19. Sitting in Sam's backyard by the fire drinking sparkling wine
20. Medjool's, even though I haven't been there in quite some time
21. Watching the fireworks and the Blue Angels from the roof of my apartment
22. Calistoga and just resting there

I'm sure there are lots of things that I've forgotten, but those will just need to be things that I do/see when I come back and visit. And yes, I made it to a list of 22 for all you 22-ophiles. And I also wanted to note that I'll be leaving the general Bay area on 9/22... Coincidence?

Addendum:

A couple of things that I forgot from my initial list:

- Going and seeing my friend Abby and her circus perform

- Tartine Bakery - They have THE BEST croissants!!

Free to Good Home....

Expensive to a Bad Home....

Nice Single Girl looking for a place to live. Available mid-September. Comes with her own bed and LOTS of wine.....

As many of you read last week, I've been doing some "pondering" (Pondering and Planning and Whatnot). And some of you guessed correctly... I am planning on returning to Texas. I've been in discussions with The Queen and we are good to go with me to move in with her and The King and puppies to replace the BIL who has moved out. I needed to confirm with her that the offer was still on the table and today she agreed that it was, so Yippee!! 

Now, Kim did guess some additional items (e.g., getting a new job and becoming a rock star). I do have plans to move on to another account once I'm back in Texas so if anybody knows of anything, let me know....hint, hint.... OH! And I may just become a Rock Star....at Guitar Hero!!

The rest of the summer I have lots and lots that I have to do, which hopefully will provide lots and lots of blogs. 

And, if any of you are wondering, I am still going to be participating in the 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer and still need lots and lots of donations. 

Happy Anniversary, California

Three years ago on this day, January 13th, I landed in California to work on a 3 - 4 month project and then be sent back to Texas.

Fast forward to May of 2006... It looks like we are still going to need you, but we want you to move from the Residence Inn hotel to corporate apartments.

July of 2006... I pack up my apartment and move everything I own into a storage unit. I then pack up my CRV and head off across the country to drive my own vehicle out to California since they are extending my time and I'm really tired of driving rental cars. I still have tucked in my visor the 3x5 card on which my Mom wrote the directions to take the back roads up to Amarillo to get onto Highway 40. It is one of my little touchstones that keep me connected to my Texas roots.

October of 2006... I've been convinced to just go ahead and pick up and fully move out to California. I get a nice 2 bedroom apartment, have my belongings shipped out, and set up house. I enjoy it. I make friends. I get comfortable.

February 2007.... My folks come and visit me in my first place. Mom and I explore the wine country, which has been very beneficial to some of my California friends as I've introduced them to a couple of the wineries that Mom and I discovered. Dad puts up my shower rod and fixes things around the apartment (that's what he does). We all explore the Alcatraz and Fisherman's Warf. Mom and Dad drive down to Big Sur.

2007... Blurs by. I explore more. I see more of California. I get in a rut and get depressed. I miss home and family and all those other things that one associates with Texas. I have The Queen come out and stay with me one week a month. I visit the Winchester House 3 times. I get my California license and vehicle registered in October. I spend Christmas with friends in Santa Cruz. I spend New Year's Eve in the city. I have adventures.

February 2008... The Queen stops visiting me. I decide I need a change of location. I start purging things from my home.

April 2008... I find an apartment in the city. My sister comes to visit. She and I explore and have adventures. I move into my new apartment and learn about city life.

2008.... Blurs by. I have new adventures. I enjoy bar-b-ques in Sam's garden. I go camping and boating. I go horse back riding. I find new wineries. I take quilt classes. I get depressed and miss Texas and my family very, very much. I start taking Pilates. I start and then stop walking the hills. I go to Healdsburg for Thanksgiving and home for Christmas. I make plans to do things and I ignore plans to do things.

January 13, 2009... Do I have another California year in me? There is still so much that I want to do and see. So many questions keep circling in my head. For now, though, I'll stick it out for a couple of more months.

So, California... Happy Anniversary!! Here's to our relationship of state and individual continuing to develop....