Life Update

I’ve taken an accidental hiatus from my “so-called So-Cal” blog, but life hasn’t stopped. In fact we’ve had more going on than normal and it’s shaken up our lives a bit, in a good way of course. 

First and foremost, my moon and soul mate made her trek across the United States from Orlando, Florida to inhabit beautiful San Diego with me! I’m very excited for her to experience a new life here with her boyfriend, Colbee and to gain every ounce of optimism and positive energy this city has to offer.

Labor Day at the Beach with my Moon

Secondly, Tyler and I are excited to announce we have a new addition to our brood, Austin. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a roommate! This is a very exciting change for us. We both have best friends in our city and aside from saving money on rent, Austin offers a nice change to our mix and change is often good and needed. 

Our latest visitor for the Labor Day weekend was Tyler’s friend Brandon and for a hot minute there was a Florida State, Sigma Chi reunion at our house, which I’m sure was refreshing for Tyler. 

Austin, Brandon, and Tyler

First Seminole Game of the season

 Oh and most importantly it’s FOOTBALL SEASON! We’ve continued our tradition of watching our favorite team at Brewley’s Irish Pub in PB, although some usual members are absent now that they're back in Florida. We’ve also ventured downtown to watch a game at BUB’s, as this is Graci’s new stomping ground. 

Go Noles

Some of our most recent adventures…

Tyler and I went to Portland, Maine for Kate and Danny’s beautiful barn yard wedding in August.  The couple made a splendid bride and groom and all the hand-made touches from the wedding were amazing. I was obsessed with the simplicity, intimacy and love! It was a beautiful wedding where friends and family joined hands, danced, and drank in celebration of two kindred spirits.

With this ring they wed

Fairies, nymphs, forestry and love

Say Cheese

We also took a day to camp at a KOA cabin in Saco. I am an advocate for the KOA campgrounds; they’ve never ceased to impress me.

Cabin #16

Our quarters, full size bed, twin bunks and a heater

Lobstah Dinner

When Heather came to visit on trip #142, I took the crew to the mushroom caves for a hike which turned into an unexpected bouldering fiasco, but we made it back alive.

Heather, Graci, me, and Colbee in a cave

We also hung out in North Park for the first time. We went to The Office, which provided stiff cocktails and a vintage atmosphere. 

While there I was introduced to Graci’s friend from home, Lisa who then invited me to see Mute Math, Incubus and Linkin Park, backstage! I even met Brandon Boyd, the lead singer from Incubus backstage.

Backstage and Cricket Wireless Amphitheater

Brandon Boyd from Incubus

I’m sure there are more adventures to come and I can’t wait to share them with our new family. Stay tuned…

When I was in Moab, Utah…

I must sound like Michelle from American Pie because every time I utter this phrase someone rolls their eyes seeing as they’ve already heard about that time in Moab at least twice.  I’m still relishing in the memories so I’d figured I would blog about my hiking, biking, backpacking, and camping trip to Moab with my best friend Maricel instead of vocally repeating my memories.

First things first, a special thank you to Maricel Monto for her excellent planning, packing and companionship!! 

I used Google Flights for the first time ever and booked a really great deal to Denver, CO on Frontier airlines. We decided to fly to Denver because flights to Moab’s tiny municipal airport were heinous. Once we got to Moab, Maricel and I rented our economy vehicle which we were urged to upgrade to a 4 cylinder and after the trip was all said and done we were glad we listened. 

Ford Fusion, You Served Us Well

Denver, Colorado

It was actually a beautiful city. I think it’s too far from the ocean for my liking, but I loved the mountains and natural landscape. Through Denver and Colorado in general was about a 5 hour drive to Moab, which was a quiet little mining town with no hustle and bustle and a downtown that is only 3 blocks long. We arrived at the KOA (which I highly recommend for future visitors). The campground was reasonably priced, the nice staff even moved us to a shaded site (a mandatory spot for reprieve against the sun) instead of the one we booked. The bathrooms were clean and the grounds well maintained. Oh and there’s a pool which was much needed in the desert. I was also very impressed with Maricel’s packing skills and looking back at the trip I think my only contribution was a flashlight and granola bars, wait actually she brought the granola bars too. Anyway the two of use “adventurous” girls quickly put up our 6 person tent without a hitch, set up camp, bought water and food to grill and were ready to check out the scenery first day. 

Day One-

Mountain Biking the Intrepid Trail, this was actually really scary. We rented bikes from Moab Tourism Center, total for the rack, the bikes and helmets $90.00, they have the best prices in town and believe me Mar did her research. He made us test drive around the parking lot to get ourselves in “gear” pun intended, but that little ride did not prepare us for the terrain ahead. We drove into Dead Horse Point State Park and like true know it all type of tourists wanted to challenge ourselves and take the next to hardest mountain biking trail possible, without any training. 

Haven't hit the trail yet

The Intrepid Trail loop was a 4 mile loop around the first base of the canyon. After 10 minutes and less than a mile traveled I believe Maricel and I were feeling good. I think we even uttered “this is easy, no sweat”.  The next 10 minutes was a different story, rocks, jagged edges of the mountain, soft patches of red sand that acted like quick sand, it quickly became a different story. I fell off my bike. Mar fell off her bike. I scraped my knee. We hid under a rock . We cried. We came close to giving up and then finally made it to the half way mark realizing we had 2 more miles to go. LOL.

Realizing "YOU ARE HERE" is very far away

Back at the site with barely any water left we started preparing the grill. All the signs tell you to drink at least a gallon of water a day. We went through 4 gallons in one full day.

Day Two-

Hiking to the Delicate Arch at the Arches National Park. We quickly wised up to certain time frames, 8-11AM is the best time for a hike, 12-4PM is when you hide in the shade because the sun is directly above you beating down at 110 degrees and 5-8PM is a great time for a sunset hike or walking around. We tried to sleep in on day two because of the strenuous activities the previous day, but unfortunately the rays of the sun and the screeching of some kind of alarm clock bird had us awake and frazzled at 6AM. We returned our bikes, filled the car with gas, took a ride around the city and headed up to the Arch for a sunset hike. This park is huge, most of the parks give you a 7 day pass so you can return to see other areas, but we had an agenda and sped through the park to get to the delicate arch, but we passed so many vista points and landmarks we did decide to go back on Day Three to check them out again.

Day Three-

I think we were almost over it. The ground didn’t provide for comfortable sleeping arrangements. I had also eaten mussels before a 4 mile hike (a bad choice) and got sick and it was so damn hot! But Maricel had planned a “surprise” excursion for us, so I had to be up and ready by 7AM. We arrived at the venue and I find out we’re going White Water Rafting. I was excited and scared, but I’m always scared.

Oh and our guide was cute! BONUS

There weren’t a lot of rapids because of the water level, but I learned a great deal. Here are some regurgitated facts.

• Water levels are measured by cubic feet per second, 2 years ago water levels were at 98,000CFS we went rafting at 12,000CFS (which means the rocks were starting the jut out of the water)

• The Tamarisk tree was introduced to stabilize the Colorado River banks, but the tree grows up to 25 feet tall and drinks up to 300 gallons of water per day. Now scientists have introduced a beetle to kill the Tamarisk. The circle of life.

• The canyons were formed when salt from ocean water was left behind by evaporation, hardened and layers of earth and rock piled on top of it. Plate tectonics shifted and the salt collapsed causing the canyons to form.

• Not everyone in Utah is Mormon

Day Four-

We packed up and left Moab and returned to Denver for our flight back home. By day four we had gotten acclimated to the heat and the hard ground and really didn’t mind a longer stay, but it was nice knowing we were going to sleep in a hotel and have a bed in Denver. The drive up was scenic, but the traffic was insane. Everyone was either leaving the mountains or driving into Denver. What would’ve been a 5 hour trip took 6 and a half. 

Denver Again-

My quick take on Denver: 

•  I bet it’s awesome in the winter
• There are really crummy looking parts (especially where we stayed lol) 
•  Downtown is really cultural and edgy, there seems to be young people and an artistic aspect to the city

Overall the trip was exhausting, exhilarating, adventurous, beautifully scenic and fun. Hopefully my next journey tops the sights and sounds of Moab, but for now this will satisfy my outdoorsy appetite.I recommend reading, Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, which inspired the trip!

Music is my best friend…

Aside from the life outdoors, the music scene in California is not too shabby.  I’m assuming it’s the common desire to be inspired by the west coast, to experience its glory and then squeeze the creative juices into happy-go-lucky, emotionally stirring, easily relatable and dance-able music.  Many of the bands I like, write and sing about the west coast, the ocean, driving, feelings, and more times than not I connect with it.

I’m constantly inspired by music, but unfortunately I’m not musically gifted, unless you count singing in the shower. Luckily the bands that I like and who have come to San Diego sound a lot better than me and with the revolving door spewing out talent so often we seem to catch shows a lot. 

To find concerts I typically use SongKick which I login with Facebook to see what’s going on around town, but because Tyler works with the San Diego Reader, he’s in the know before me.

We saw Portugal the Man, at the House of Blues.  They are really good, often compared to the Beatles (my favorite band).  It was an all ages’ show thus there was a designated drinking zone and we had to drink our PBR tall boys on balcony upstairs. Of course we wanted to be in the crowd and I couldn’t chug my beer fast enough so I ended up abandoning it to watch from the floor.  There were  dozens of tweens surrounding us and a girl suddenly passed out next to us. After shared stories this apparently happens often in this venue, due to the lack of oxygen.

Tyler’s favorite band Minus the Bear also came to SD and played at SOMA which is basically a huge garage. They don’t serve alcohol and you can’t re-enter, but the venue is big and the acoustics are good.  They played their Highly Refined Pirates album and some selections from various albums. They had really cool stage lights, too bad it was a school night. This band has a very mellow vibe and their lyrics are so realistic.  Every now and then there’s a dance beat that will get you moving, but I find the music perfect for lying in the grass under a tree.

We also saw Tennis, a band we found in VOID Magazine in Jacksonville Beach. They were touring through San Diego and lucky for us we got to go. They were playing at the Casbah which is right next to the airport and you never think it was indoor/outdoor, but it’s actually a really cool venue. It has the grunge, not taken care of feel, but it feels so right; stickers adorn the walls and poles, there are ripped leather seats patched up with duct tape, pool tables and arcade games.  It’s a dive but when you look up the sky is above you as the roof opens up to the stars and what's better than music under the sky?

Tennis is beach, folk, indie dance music and it’s great. You can sit around and bob your head to her sweet sinewy voice. I really liked her, Alaina (the lead singer). She is so cute and sweet faced with gigantic curly hair blocking her eyes. Her and her husband, sing about sailing across the world, the ocean, different cities they’ve visited and love. And the band that opened for them, Miniature Tigers, is pretty awesome too.

We also went to BellyUp in Solana beach to see members of the Thievery Corporation, who we were supposed to see, but due to the black-out was cancelled.  Ironically once they were rescheduled a pipe flooded their staging room and they had to reschedule again it was inevitable that we would see them so we just gave up. But when we heard that members of the band were playing at BellyUp Tyler was able to get us on the list to see the show.  It was a reggae band that collaborated with Thievery Corporation on a few songs. It was interesting, too much revolution music for my taste, which actually ended in a revolt in the car between Mikey (Tyler’s buddy who came to visit us) and Tyler about political hypocrisy in reggae music. 

Our most recent show was Surfer Blood, who hail from West Palm Beach, Florida. I tweeted the band that we were going and they tweeted back J.  They were playing a small show at Porter’s Pub which is on UCSD (University of California San Diego)’s campus. It’s a really small venue, but it’s cool because it’s on campus. We felt like college kids only 6 years older and sleepy after 11:00pm.  Surfer Blood has an upbeat, beachy sound.  

Last, but not least, we tried to see Ra Ra Riot, but the show was sold out.  Oh well! Check out these bands and give them a listen you may be pleasantly surprised!

Glass Caverns

I had a dream last night that I was part of the sea

I was floating atop my board

the water was calm, serene,

seagulls performed aerial acrobatics against the pastel wall.

I was waiting for movement, for something to stir

Then I see them coming toward me.

I’m startled, but not scared.

A couple.

They frolic and play like tireless children

They swim past me, but one turns around

and winks at me

All of a sudden I see the horizon pick up

the green lines are building right before me

I turn into position and repeat my mantra

paddling HARD, my shoulders and arms are on fire

it's forming behind me and I turn my nose to the floor

I drop in and feel my stomach go to my throat

I feel the cool water splash around me

I’m inside.

I smile.

I had a dream I got barreled. I couldn't believe it and it felt so real. I think my mind was urging my body to get into the water. I've been stressed lately with everyday life and my outlet has been traveling around Saudia Arabia.  The swell should pick up on Sunday, maybe I'll take a hack at a solo session. Thank you subconscious!

That's What You Get For Waking Up In Vegas

I finally make my first road trip to Vegas.  My beautiful friends decided to plan a weekend getaway before Valentine's day to sin city and as it's fairly close to San Diego I chose to drive.  It takes about 4.5 hours to  which doesn't seem long, but you're driving through desert, dry and vast desert.  It's kind of eerie.

This was the view alongside my car for 3 hours. I stopped to get gas at the only station for miles. It was so creepy and quiet, everyone was staring at me. I felt like I was going to get murdered or eaten. They were desert people, like the ones from The Hills Have Eyes movie.  I asked the clerk where I was and he said "Victorville" where my poor baby Kirby lives!! LOL




This was me in the lobby of the hotel. I wanted photos, but no one was in the mood for group shots.  Solo it is! I just really love this dress from American Apparel.

Four man pyramid.

We did something different on my second round in Vegas and saw a show.  I wanted to see cirque, but Heather is scared of clowns and she's already seen it.  So we took a recommendation for Absinthe at Caesar's Palace and I have to admit it was pretty cool.

They have a lot of the same acrobatic elements as a Cirque show, but with raunchy adult humor.  The emcee got pretty graphic some of it was hilarious and some was just grossing me out, but the whole idea of absinthe just warping your mind and apparently your bodies was interesting.

This girl bent like a rubber band.  She's wearing those femdom shoes too.  I'm not sure what their called, but they are stilettos that have you pointing like a ballerina.  She was Russian and flexible and insane.

Polish Sausage

 I'll probably be the only one to admit I'm getting old, but this picture was taken in the Wyn's casino after a few cocktails and dinner.  This was on our way back to the hotel at approximately 12 in Vegas.  Which is basically the old timers hour to go to bed!

Chinese New Year Display in the Bellagio

I look like a native in this picture because I had a few mimosas and I didn't take a Pepcid. I'm Navajo red.  I'm also wearing a turband, from Gold Saturn.  They are so cute! Buy one.

These gorgeous  crystal strands were dangling from the ceiling in the Cosmopolitan.  This was one of the newest hotels in Vegas.  The installation reminded me of beautiful jellyfish.  This hotel had a glamorous vibe to it.  It was like something I would find in Miami.

Tip for those traveling to Vegas by car. DO NOT leave on Sunday afternoon. Holy crap! This 4.5 hour drive took 6 hours. There was so much traffic and everyone was slamming on their brakes.  There was also a pointless checkpoint in California where the toll booth attendants did nothing but wave you through.  I still didn't understand the purpose.  Then there wasn't a gas station for miles until you get to Barstow, which according to the radio is the family fun station.  Gas was $4.99 a gallon! I will remember to leave early Sunday morning or Monday. It was a hellish ordeal returning from Sin City.

Long Beach

Nick came to California for a work convention in Long Beach and since it's only a short drive from us we went up for the weekend to spend some time with him in the LBC!

We had gone surfing earlier that morning and just threw our boards in the car hoping to surf a sunset session once we got to Long Beach.  It was nice being salty in the car, but having my board strapped to the roof was so annoying.  I haven't bought a rack for my new board since we haven't really gone on any surf trips so we just use the straps that got us to California in the first place. They hold the board secure, but a two hour drive becomes agony especially when it's sounds like you're in the middle of a bee hive.

A little Ocean Treasure

We were able to get to Manhattan Beach and surf a little before the sun went down. Tyler found this sand dollar for me. It was such a cute town, especially after our detour through the Long Beach ghetto. I understand Sublime a little bit better after seeing it with my own eyes.

Nick and I outside Roscoe's

 We ate dinner at the famous Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. I've heard of this place through that Snoop Dog television show and from random people who've eaten here. I heard it was good, but I didn't really know what to expect.  Well it's soul food that's for sure. I ordered some lemonade/KoolAid concoction which ended up tasting exactly like sugar water and obviously chicken and waffles.  Who would've thought fried chicken served alongside a thick buttermilk waffle smothered in greasy butter and topped with maple syrup would pair so well together. It was delicious and I felt like a fatty mcpatty afterwards.

At the Family Fun Zone

Fountain on the walk back to the hotel.

Nick had to work the convention early in the morning so we took off for a full day in Los Angeles. We went to visit Point Dume.  Tyler had been raving about this surf spot and finally was able to show it to me.  It's one of the first places he surfed in Southern California and he had the best session ever here.

Here we are. I make us the proverbial tourists, but I like taking pictures. This is in front of the natural preserve sign.  There's a cool little hike along the cliff side and down to the ocean.  There's just no parking on the little strip designated as the entrance.

 We waited for the water to retreat before we jumped over these rocks onto the platform where the tidal pools were.  The rocks were so sharp.  Whenever I see something like this I always think of this story my mom told me when I was little about some children that were playing on these rocks in the ocean and the waves started building.  The water was getting so high that the kids couldn't make it back to the shore.  So a fairy came and turned them to stone. I don't think it was supposed to be a scary story, but I always remember that.  Weird.

Well that's all for Long Beach and Los Angeles County!

Our Outdoor Adventures

I've been so terrible at keeping up with this blog. I guess I think that Facebook Mobile uploads should suffice, but not being able to express what I feel and think when things happen to me in California and not being able to share them with my friends and family make me feel like I'm being neglectful. Even if only one person reads my blog it makes me happy. So I quickly apologize for my lack of updates.

It's so strange to hear a native Californian say "there's nothing to do here, it's so boring". Although it doesn't happen often, I've heard it muttered.  There is so much in our backyard to do and see and luckily a lot of what we enjoy doing is free.

One of our first hikes was in Julian, called Three Sisters Falls.  This hike was intense. I did it once before with my friend Chris on an empty stomach. It was so hot. I ran out of water. I was so sick and I ended up throwing up on the ride back.  Luckily the second time around I was a little more prepared. It was still pretty hot and exhausting, but cooling down in the falls was a nice reprieve.

Tyler going down the waterfall. It was actually terrifying because the water isn't very deep and the algae makes the rock slide extremely slippery and his body turned to the side on the way down. I thought "hospital" for sure.

I went down the slide after about 20 minutes of whining. 

We tend to go to the shores a lot too, La Jolla Shores that is. Whenever friends come in town we like to show them the awesome scenery and the barking seals.  

Really pretty view with the crashing waves in the background.

As a fair warning the rocks and tidal pools are slippery when wet. We almost lost Kirby and she almost lost her iPhone which she seemed more concerned about at the time.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.

When we don't hike, we like to surf.  We've found a few spots that work well for my novice surfing skills. Although the reefs break are better we tend to go to beach breaks so I don't break my neck.  The surf is a lot better on the west coast, but the water is freezing and not only that when you surf back to back you have to shimmy into a wet wetsuit and it's chilly.  Oh and they tend to stink.

His face gives you an idea.

I am just so happy to be in the water.  Even though the water is cold it's just nice to be a part of the ocean. It's nice to get wet and forget everything that stressed you out. I like the serenity and being part of something bigger than me.  When we're out there waiting for sets I just tend to empty my head and watch the horizon. It's zen and the art of mental maintenance.

Not so recently Tyler and I went to hike Double Peak Mountain. The actual peak was a little disappointing as it didn't provide the best cardio, but it did give us an amazing 360 degree view of the city.  It's unlike anything we're used to, being able to climb to the top of a peak and look out over the city and see the vast ocean.  I think being Floridians really makes us appreciate the beauty of the mountains.

You have to pose like this, it's a hiking must.

I was running my mouth about something and walked right over this little guy. Yep! That's a rattlesnake.

Double Peak San Marcos

We like to use Roam-A-Rama.  It is a section at Tyler's magazine "San Diego Reader" .  It gives you photos and little blurbs about places to check out in Southern California.  We took it's advice and went to Twin Peaks in Poway.  I got to take my brand new Camel Back for a spin too!

Tyler's Christmas Gift to me!

Tyler on the top of a cliff. 

We actually did this hike twice. I believe the first time we went we had to be back home by a certain time for something and since we aren't quitters we went back again to complete the route.  These pictures were taken closer to the top of the mountain on our second round.

See there's the pose again.

The funny thing about this particular hike was we decided to get a little more adventurous than normal and took the path less traveled.  We rock hopped our way to the top and it was really fun and quite the work out.  The only problem was we lost the visible path back down so we had to improvise.  It was pretty risky jumping through brush that could have been crawling with rattlesnakes.  Fortunately we weren't the only ones.  Two other hikers took our lead and were following us down our unbeaten path.  We weren't lost I promise ;). I sustained a few scrapes and cuts, but was just glad the sun hadn't set on us.

We love our everyday adventures!