It Is What It Is

I have a confession to make: I backed into a pole. It happened when I picked my mom up from the airport over labor day weekend. In all my years I never once injured the car I was driving and then when all the financial responsibility is on me and I'm in my BRAND NEW car, I back into a freaking pole. I had a ding in my bumper for quite some time and just had it fixed 8 days ago. Onto today's story.....

Today I decided that a little retail therapy was in order since I was bummed out about missing homecoming and I had a few things I could actually justify making a trip out to get.

I headed back out to Livermore, to walk around the outlets there a bit and hit up the mall that had a store I needed. While driving there and slowly getting more and more frustrated with California drivers I began to miss the ding on my bumper. When you have a ding on your bumper people tend to give you a little more room on the road. They think to themselves, "oh she's not afraid to get scrappy, better give her lots of breathing space". Don't pretend like you don't think that about banged up cars too. On more than one occasion my mom has yelled at me for initially parking next to a car with a bad bumper or smashed in door. I usually call her crazy and move the car, not thinking much of this added perk of having a banged up car. No one wants to get real close to you! It's awesome and I missed it.

On my way home from a delightful day of shopping I decided to take the scenic route. Highway 84 through Niles Canyon, for those of you who may know the area. Well it's a rather twisty and turny and beautiful stretch of road. When I was going around one of those turns a motorcycle also happened to be going around but unfortunately did not have as good of control of his bike as he would have liked. He hit the guard rail flew off the bike and the bike skidded across the road and right into my beautiful, newly repaired, freshly washed car.

I am okay and I believe the guy is okay. He went away in an ambulance but he was up and talked to the police for awhile before they took him away. I saw no blood and he wasn't obviously mangeled. Thank goodness he had a helmet and whatever type of special jackets motorcycle riders wear. Those and the guard rail easily saved his life.

Unfortunately my car is not okay. His bike banged up my driver door and front fender and no one is going to want to come near it with a ten foot pole now. I also got quite a few stares when I drove back to my apartment. I hear the breeze as I drive so it's not closing properly. Let's just hope the weather stays wonderful and I don't need to worry about the rain.

My poor car :(

I just can't believe that I went 7 years without incident and now, within a month, I've had two things happen that require body work. I was telling my mom about this and she was saying how my Aunt Dawn was going to go out and get me a St. Christopher medal (patron saint of travelers), have it blessed, and send it my way. Then I remembered that I already have one! I had it in my old car the entire time I drove it! I know I packed it away somewhere, now I just need to find it and find it quickly before something else horrible happens. I get a good chuckle out of this one, the non-religious girl is freaking out because she misplaced her Saint medal. ...but in all honestly I really need to find it.

Now, after talking with the insurance people I am assured that I am not at fault and the other guy's insurance should pay for all my damages. I am left sitting here, drinking wine out of a mug, and thinking "it is what it is".

In case you're curious I am drinking a 2011 late harvest sauvignon blanc from Thomas Coyne. It is completely delicious and I am very deserving after an evening like the one I've had. 

Still on Cloud Nine

Last weekend was the best weekend I've had in a very long time. Why, you ask? Because my boyfriend visited me :)

What? You didn't know about him? Despite having a blog I do remain a very private person and honestly we're a little crazy so I wanted to make sure it was really for real. And I am happy to report that we're not only crazy but also crazy about each other and it is really for real :) If you want to know how we met, ask me in person. It's a little embarrassing/adorable and too much for the internet to handle.

So! Onto the tales of our shenanigans!

After picking up Bobby (that's his name) from the airport we went straight to the Ghiradelli Factory Store. It smelled so good! I want one of the houses that is around there; I would be salivating my entire life. We got a bunch of random chocolate squares and I am still eating them. I literally just finished "Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Caramel" and yeah, it's even more amazing than it sounds.

On Friday evening we tried to go see the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, romantic right? Well we thought that Golden Gate Park would be a good place to be. We thought wrong. It was all forest-y and kinda in a weird valley and couldn't see any sort of vista or pretty sunset. Please if you are from SF and know of a good spot to see the bridge, let me know! The sun was setting quickly so we decided to give up and head towards the ocean and find a beach. We walked on the sand for a little while and got a small taste of the Pacific Ocean before it got too cold and headed back to the car.

It was also very foggy and cloudy. Kinda creepy but kinda cool. 

We drove around looking for somewhere to have dinner and found a place called Mel's Diner. I had THE BEST meatloaf of all time. The gravy was to die for. I dipped my veggies in it.

Saturday rolled around and it was raining. No, that's a lie....it was POURING. All morning it rained and rained and rained. I hadn't seen it rain since I'd gotten here and stared out the window for few minutes in disbelief. We had grand plans of doing some wine tasting but those were quickly squashed. Instead we headed into San Francisco (it stopped raining while we rode the BART in, of course) and saw the ferry building and went to the Exploratorium on piers 15/17. It was so cool! I would describe it as a children's museum where grown ups can play and learn too. We got a kick out of the drinking fountain.

Afterwards we had dinner at Pier 23, a restaurant I had been to before when I visited SF looking for an apartment with my mom, aunt and cousin. It's this little shack with awesome sea food and Bobby and I happened to score an amazing table right on the water. We even think we saw an otter swimming around! We both got the fish and chips (yummo) and for an appetizer he got me to try oysters on the half shell. I can now confidently say they're not bad but not really my thing. If my life depends on it, I will eat a raw oyster.

PROOF

Since our plans of wine tasting on Saturday were ruined by mother nature we moved those to Sunday afternoon. SO MUCH FUN! We went to Livermore, Napa and Sonoma's cooler cousin that is far less touristed and much more economical. And also way closer to where I live.  I had found a winery, Thomas Coyne, with the help of Yelp which has free tastings so we headed there first. It was one this amazing, old, rustic vineyard and the tasting was done in an old barn type thing where the original winery (not the same as the current one) would make their wine and was built back in the 1800's. Unfortunately the property was sold and they are being forced to move from their perfect location to another part of town without nearly as much history and character. Thankfully the grapes they use are not grown on that property so their wine will continue to be awesome. We had an amazing time there, bought a couple of bottles, and decided to hit up another tasting.

The second tasting was not nearly as impressive and the wines were more expensive. The staff also wasn't as personable and it kinda felt to me more like they were bar tenders than wine people. We both felt that the wines had nothing special going on, it was wine we could get at any grocery store and for probably half the price. No wine was bought. 

I then decided that if the website is crappy then they are focusing on more important things, like their wine. So we hit the internet on our phones and found a winery without a real website. Should be amazing right? So totally right! We went on the hunt for The Singing Winemaker because I thought it sounded like fun. I actually still can't find a website for just this winery, just Tesla Vintners where it and another winery are housed. We didn't know there were going to be multiple wineries on site when we got there so we actually first walked into the other place, Ehrenberg Cellars. This is where we found out we could get a package deal and buy tastings at both places so, of course, we signed right up. They also had this cute little photo backdrop thing and they dressed us up and took our picture. When my phone uploaded the pictures to my google drive it "auto awesomed" them and made a little mini movie/flip book/gif. I had no clue this was going to happen and every time I see it, a huge grin spreads over my face.  

Sorry if we're too adorable for you, get over it. 

While there it alternated between us being the only customers and other people coming in and out. We met this awesome older couple, the wife happened to be a life coach and she told us the secrets to success. Sorry but I can't share. After our tasting we headed over to The Singing Winemaker and met the singing winemaker himself. He was walking around, playing his guitar, and singing. I honestly thought this was some sort of gimmic but apparently we were there at the right time and got to meet the guy in the flesh! We also had some great wines while we were there and ended up buying a dessert wine (read: 18% alcohol) called Karen's Kisses. Since we had done quite a bit of drinking by this point we lingered a little while in the picnic area and soaked up a bit of California sun before heading back towards home. I think the coolest part of going to the Tesla Vintners was after they closed some of the employees and the two winemakers also just hung out in the picnic area and drank wine, shooting the breeze. I want that to be my life one day.

Also something totally cool, the winemaker at Ehrenberg signed my bottle! And he let me taste some wine that hasn't even been released or labeled yet. It should be out by Christmas time, the guy is a business man so he was probably trying to get me to come back for it. It is definitely going to work because I LOVED their wines. Seriously considering joining their wine club - called "the whiners". I am also definitely going back to Thomas Coyne, just a whole different level of the amazing. 

I now realize it's rubbing off :( and please ignore my failing craft project in the background

After sobering up we headed back to my place to eat pizza and sushi, drink some wine we had just bought, and watch a movie for our last evening together.

Overall it was an amazing weekend. The most fun I have had in a long time! We're a couple of goofs and it was so good to see my man again, we hadn't seen each other since I left in the beginning of July! We talk every day and gchat but it just isn't the same as being in the same room with somebody. Only 2 months until Thanksgiving and we can see each other again! I had wanted to get a nice picture of us when we went wine tasting but that didn't happen. Somehow I think the silly pictures dressed up and standing in a barrel are more fitting :)

I am still on cloud nine from his visit and getting more and more excited every day for my next set of visitors, my sistas! Columbus Day weekend can't come fast enough!

A 2nd Chance for San Francisco

Guys....I'm almost to 1000 page views! Last I checked before posting this I was at 988, so maybe you're lucky number 1000! I feel like Sally Fields accepting her Oscar, "you like me! your really like me!". If you say I'm too young for that reference I say you don't know my old soul and also that Sally Fields is a timeless and gifted actress beloved by all.

Also if you haven't heard "Roar" by Katy Perry, I suggest you do so. I've linked in for your convenience because I love it that much. Awesome song to jam in the car and scare the other drivers next to you at a stop light with how majorly you're getting into it. Not that I know from experience or anything....GIRL POWER

Enough of me helping you to empower yourself, let's get back to silly stories of my life.

This past weekend I finally had an enjoyable time in San Francisco. I'll admit, my sampling size is rather limited....limited to one visit on a cold/dreary day when I would have rather done anything but walk around a city. It was when I visited the bay area back in early June to hopefully find an apartment (which failed miserably) and we decided we needed to see the city at least a little bit before leaving. It was cold, it was damp, it was a Tuesday evening. Nothing of note was happening, I was very unimpressed and left thinking it was a sad excuse for a major city. Sorry if I offend people who are from here but I had Chicago and London to compare it to. I still have major issues with the city - public transportation super super sucks! - but it does have a ton of character. 

I went downtown on Saturday morning with a couple of my coworkers, one of the girls was another RA visiting from our Hoboken office for the week so it was fun to hang out with her again. We went to the Ferry Building and I discovered the most beautiful, vibrant, amazing smelling farmer's market of my life. SO MANY COLORS. It was amazing and I can't wait to go back and explore for myself, without other people to distract me. 

We walked around for awhile and saw stores and stuffs. Walked up way too many steep hills for my comfort level - because public transportation super super sucks! - and ended up at Ghiradelli Square. UM HELLO YUMMY! It. smelled. amazing. I got chocolate covered espresso beans and chocolate covered blueberries. So so so so so so so good. 

--side note: I discovered I live a mere 25 min from the Ghiradelli factory store and outlet. yep, that's on the list of things to visit.

Since we were right there we walked over to Fisherman's Warf and sat and saw some sailboats. We missed the America's Cup races, I don't even think we were in the right spot and it was too late for that anyways. I saw a little teeny bit of the Golden Gate Bridge but I'm not letting that count as my first time seeing it because I didn't get the full majesty of it. We could see Alcatraz but it was weirdly hazy so the picture didn't turn out.

Since I started with current jam, I'll end with another current obsession: The Avett Brothers. They started showing up a lot of my Mumford and Sons Pandora; one thing led to another and now we're in a committed relationship. I just downloaded Mignonette and it's on repeat while I work. One of my favorites is below: 

Happy Tuesday!

A Midwestern Girl on the West Coast

I've noticed a few things since I've been here. Strange things. Cool things. "What the John?" kinda things. I'll share a few of them now but I suspect this may become a recurring post as weird things happen or I make random observations.

Last post I commented on how the small booklet on the restaurant table wasn't drinks or desserts. There is nutritional information everywhere and it is in your face. I agree that it should be readily available if requested but if I choose to remain blissfully ignorant please let me do so.

It is always sunny. All the time the sun is shining. Glaring in your face as you're trying to drive or walk around. I would kill for an overcast day right now. Yeah, in the morning it is a little cloudy but that's all gone by about 10:30am and then it's all sunny for the rest of the day. Only once has it been cloudy that I've noticed since I've been here (about 3 weeks now). I'm told that it rains in the winter....I don't believe them.

How am I supposed to drive with this?

People here, meaning silicon valley, have money coming out of their knee caps. It's exhausted all other traditional routes (ie. eyeballs, ears, armpits) and is now pouring out the knee caps as well. How do I know this, you ask? By observing the parking lot at my office. There are 3 Tesla cars I regularly see, a super nice BMW with a bike rack on top, and there isn't a car that is more than 5 years old. Seriously?! It's bonkers. 

I know this is a cultural thing, I am closer to Asia on this coast, but there are a million thai restaurants. As someone who doesn't particurlarly enjoy thai food this is problematic. Whenever we go out for lunch in my office it is to one of two thai restaurants that are nearby. I don't detest it enough to ask to go somewhere else, I can always get sweet and sour chicken, but I've had thai food three times in the past week and that is way above my comfort level. 

Californians seem to want you to love everything and they want to help you love everything. When asked if I like thai food and I tell someone "it's alright, I'm still getting used to it" (complete lie, I don't like it and I'm just being diplomatic. I'll probably binge on granola bars at my desk after lunch) they'll reply with their favorite places to get thai food and at least three dishes I should try to help me try different parts of it. For a normal, rational person that's a very nice suggestion. I, however, am not always normal and rational. I'm crazy. I see this as smothering. You may be thinking now, "she's not appreciative of how they're trying to welcome her" I am appreciative, that's why I lie and listen to them, it's just that every. single. person. is that helpful person. There is a point when it just becomes too much. 

Traffic here is insanity. I took a wrong turn and ended up in gridlock traffic on the highway for a half hour just trying to get to the next exit. Also their signage is weird, my mom can testify to this. They don't always have signs parking when the lanes at an intersection are right/left turn only but rather paint it on the road. This is troublesome when there are lots of cars (which there almost always are) and you don't know which lane goes where (how I ended up on the highway in gridlock traffic). And the cycle of stop lights...don't even try to understand because it isn't consistent. 

That's enough ranting for today. One of the cool things about California is that I can grow a lemon tree in this climate!! I've always loved lemon everything and have wanted to get a dwarf lemon tree to have in a pot on my porch and now I have one!! And it's starting to bloom so I'll have lemons in no time!!

Moving and FINALLY Feeling Settled

This past week has been bonkers. BONKERS I TELL YA!

On Friday I packed up my hotel room for the last time (happy dance) and picked my momma up from the airport (happy dance and happy hugs) and spent my last night in a hotel on a crummy mattress (super happy dance)!

Virgin America lets you check up to 10 bags at $25 each. Way cheaper than shipping my stuff!

Saturday rolled around and it was TIME TO MOVE INTO MY VERY OWN APARTMENT!!! If you couldn't guess already there will be lots of all caps in this post. They are meant to convey excitement.

We moved my suitcases into the apartment and went in search of furniture. On Friday evening I had done some scouting so we didn't have to go a million places if there wasn't anything worth seeing. During my apartment search I had driven past a Macy's Furniture Outlet and during the scouting mission found a few couches I liked that were good prices. We decided on one that was supposed to be a section but did not have the chaise lounger part attached. Fine by me! One side has this awesome angle that is perfect for watching TV and I'm actually leaning against it right now as I'm typing. It's fantastical! We also found an awesome deal on a mattress and another awesome deal on an accent chair. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that everything was on sale in addition to outlet prices? And that since it was labor day weekend everything was another 10% off on top of all those discounts? Yeah, that happened.

So once we purchased the goods we went to pick up the U-Haul van I had rented for the day. We figured it would be a tight fit....yeah we were right. It was like playing furniture tetris to get it all to fit. The guys that helped us were great sports.

The doors wouldn't close....we tied them together

We drove back to my apartment, thankfully it wasn't far, and had my childhood/high school friends Kevin and John (both also recently moved out here) meet us to be our muscle and actually move the furniture. We would have either died or been crushed by my couch without them. 

After we moved that stuff we went off to get stuff. Ya know, all that random stuff you need when you move and set up a new place to live. We basically, single handedly stimulated the economy. After a long long long day of shopping and driving all around the east bay we finally stopped to have some dinner. 

Alright Chicago friends, when you walk into a restaurant and see some sort of small book on the table what do you think it is? Specials? Drinks? Desserts? Ha. Ha. Ha. Not in California (at least in Claim Jumper). It's nutritional information. When you're in the mood for a drink that's not exactly what you want to find. 

Don't look at how many calories are in a chicken pot pie. Just don't 

After some setting up and lots of little random unpacking/cleaning things we finally went to bed. I slept on the first comfortable bed I've encountered in two months. My new mattress is like sleeping on a cloud. Every morning when I wake up I don't want to get out of bed. That never really happened in hotel beds. I was much more productive in the morning in hotel beds. 

Sunday arrived and we went in search of a kitchen table. After some returns made to Lowes and a trip to Costco we stumbled up on Krazy Pat's Furniture Outlet. Outlets are my favorite. Krazy Pat himself helped us! He guessed prices. We suspect he was drunk. We got a great deal on a dresser, nightstand, and kitchen table with delivery. And I was fully expecting to wait awhile for the stuff to arrive but they were delivered yesterday. Krazy Pat may have been an alcoholic but he did good business. But here's what you really wanted to see, pictures of my place with all my stuff! I cleaned up just for you guys. Also, before you think my life is super glamorous and I can afford all these new awesome things all on my own please know that probably 60% was gifts. People seem to like me and I am forever grateful. 

Taken from standing in the back corner, by the window and nightstand

Taken from the doorway. The lamp on the nightstand was $5! With CFL lightbulb! Go Goodwill!

Bathroom. There is more counter space but I couldn't fit it in the picture

My kitchen with the new table and chairs. Mr. Ethan Apple sent me the "I love bacon sign"
For a toddler he has great taste

From behind the couch looking towards the living area. The front door is just out of sight to the right. 

My couch and chair. I'm in love. 

So after a long day of more buying stuff and putting more stuff together and way to much California for my sanity to handle we deemed Monday a tourist day. Krazy Pat had told us about the Winchester Mystery House (link) and we had both heard about it previously so we decided to give it a visit. It was pretty cool, quite the maze of rooms. The crazy lady that built the house just built rooms on top of rooms and enveloped old buildings on the property and build crazy short steps on her stairs. When she died they stopped construction right away and repairs are still being made to the house with original materials because they had so much on hand at the time. They never knew what she wanted built day to day so they just had a ton of building supplies. It was wild. 

After touring the house we went to dinner at ...try and follow this... my dad's childhood friend's second cousin's house. One of "The Walsh Boys". And by "boy" I mean middle aged. He and his wife had my mom and I over for dinner and it was the first home cooked meal I've had in two months. It was awesome. They're wonderful people and it's good to have the phone number of a responsible adult just in case I ever need it. They also invited me to a concert with them and some of their family, nieces and nephews and people more my age, in early October that I'll probably go to.

We had one last night of mother/daughter togetherness then a goodbye the following morning. Always difficult saying bye to the momma but I'll be home before I know it! And I have a brand spankin' new apartment and lots of visitors to occupy myself with in the meantime.

This is getting rather long so I'll save the saga of my cable/internet set up for another day. It's comical in a "this would only happen to me" sort of way.