Hockey At Baggage Claim

Here I am waiting for my bags in Toronto ... and look there is a TV with the hockey game on ?!

Travel Bug Hotel

Tonight, I stopped by the local travel but hotel today to pick up a travel companion for my upcoming trip.

Look who is going to be traveling with me - The Great Canadian Champ, EH!

On My Way

Most people make winter escapes to warmer weather. Not me!! I am travelling into the midst of a snow storm.

Girls Day Out

In honour of M's birthday -- today was "Girls Day Out".

We are currently enjoying summer like temperatures - the low to mid 70's today. It was perfect weather for wandering around LaJolla and visiting the beach. When I first came to San Diego I lived right in the Village of LaJolla. I enjoyed walking to the Cove almost every evening. Now, when I go back for a visit, I feel once again the wonder of my first days in San Diego!

We enjoyed lunch at The Hotel La Valencia. A first for both of us. I recommend the salmon and spinach salad. Spectacular! We had a wonderful view of the ocean from our table. The surf was up (way up!) and we enjoyed watching some adventurous souls body surfing.

After lunch we strolled through some galleries. My favourite was the nature photography of Mangelsen.

At the end of the day we returned to the ocean for low tide. The reef was brimming with tidepools and we couldn't resist taking our shoes off and dipping our toes in the ocean. I dipped a little more than toes - a big wave came along when I wasn't paying attention. I ended up soaked up to my waist! A very soggy end to the day.

M and E at the Cove


Swimming in a Tidepool?!?


Low Tide in LaJolla

Let It Snow

It has been cooler (low to mid 60's) and rainy lately. A wonderful combination that reminds me of the cool fall breezes and warm spring rains of Ontario.

I received the following e-mail this week ...

NEWS
Mountain High is enjoying the greatest winter conditions it has seen in years. With nearly ever lift and trail open, the deepest snow pack in So Cal, and a ton of great activities, it is going to be another fantastic day for skiing and snowboarding at Southern California's closest winter resort.

Then it dawned on me - Superbowl weekend is the perfect opportunity to hit the slopes! While the crowds are distracted by football and flaked out on the couch eating chips and salsa - I can enjoy a blissful day of snowboarding.

Just thinking about it, has got me in a winter groove. I love the beach and warm weather - but there is nothing like the wonder of a fresh snow fall.

Waking up to snow at Christmas

Tippy Sighting

So how cool is this?!? A picture taken this weekend in Durango.

Shout out to Jill for the Tippy sighting. Holla!!

Road Trip - Santa Barbara

This weekend I am enjoying a little 'get away' to Santa Barbara. It was cold this morning when I packed up. I almost packed my "Canadian" fall coat and toque - but decided against it.

On the way up I stopped at a little French Bakery in Montecito to pick up supplies for a picnic at the beach. The bakery had petite fours - something I have not seen for a long time. My grandmother use to bring these as a treat at Christmas time. In honour of my grandmother, I added a little chocolate petite four to my picnic lunch.

I must admit, since moving to California I am use to strange things showing up in my sandwiches. You can pretty much guarantee when they call something a Californian xxx sandwich or add an 'A' to it (i.e. BLTA) that they are going to slip some avocado into your innocent sandwich. I have learned to be preemptive and have them hold the avacodo. However, it never thought to say hold the cooked peas today when I ordered my chicken salad sandwich? Does anyone know if this is a 'french' thing? Seemed like an odd addition to my little picnic lunch at the beach.

I stopped at East Beach, which has become my favourite beach in Santa Barbara to stop for a picnic and reflect. Today, for the first time I noticed these cool trees.

Cool Trees at East Beach, Santa Barbara, California




Not bringing my fall coat and toque - bad decision. It is FREAKIN' cold here in Santa Barbara. 47 degrees F tonight as I walked State Street. I stopped at the local Starbucks and picked up some hot chocolate to take the chill off. The downtown was a buzz with holiday music and all the palm trees are wrapped in white lights. The trolley was full of enthusiastic tourists jingling bells as they passed. I have to say despite shivering, the cool temperatures added to the holiday atmosphere.

Christmas Fountain

A fun surprise I found while strolling through an outdoor mall on Saturday evening.

The Fountain at The Grove, Los Angeles, California
Choreographed with Christmas music for the holidays

Snacking My Way Home Again

On my way back from Santa Barbara I decided to make a snack themed tour through some of the trendier areas of LA.

I started in West Hollywood at Pinkberry.

Pinkberry With Fresh Mango, Rasberry and Banana


Sing along with me ...

Sorry Ice-Cream
I am dreaming of a different dessert
Frozen Yogurt and Shaved Ice
Sorry Ice-Cream
I'm on my way to Pinkberry
P-I-N-K-B-E-R-R-Y
Pinkberry for me
PinkBerry


Check this out. Only 25 calories per serving!!! Zero Calories from Fat.



On my walk over, I am pretty sure I saw Wanda Sykes coming out of the Bohdi Tree Bookstore. With my snack theme for the trip, I had my sites on a different bookstore - Book Soup over on Sunset. It reminds me of The Different Drummer Bookstore in Burlington -- without the cats curled up in the corner!

A Literary Snack At Book Soup


With all the calories I saved at PinkBerry I decided to head over to Beverly Hills and splurge on some Sprinkles cupcakes.

Yes, you too can wait in line out on the street for over half an hour just to get into the store! By the time I had purchased my prized cupcakes it was already 4 pm. That meant I would spend the next 3 hours snaking my way through LA on the 405 parking lot. Looking back, I have to say the cupcakes were worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

Sprinkles in Beverly Hills


My Prize!!

Relaxing In Santa Barbara

The freeway was busy for the drive up - but other than the Hollywood Freeway traffic was moving well. When I reached Montecito I pulled off the freeway and took a scenic drive through town and along the coast. Stopping along the way to eat the picnic lunch I packed.

I am staying at a small Inn across the road from East Beach. I choose it because it received rave customer reviews on the internet. It was also the most economical option in the area I wanted to stay. All the internet reviewers raved about the Inn Staff. Well, now that I am here - I have to agree. Even better, they were out of standard rooms so I rec'd a free upgrade to a suite. I have a full kitchen, a fireplace, King size bed and of course free wireless -- on the beach and for less then staying at a Super 8 by the freeway. Schwing!!!

I love East Beach - you can walk on the beach for what seems like forever.

This wasn't meant to be a shopping a trip - but after the sun went down I left the beach and took a stroll up State Street. It is an ecclectic mix of little shops and eateries. Along the way I stumbled across a Territory Ahead and a Crazy Shirts. I came away with a new jacket and a couple of new shirts. I guess it is a good thing that I am heading back to work on Monday!

Room With A View


Strolling East Beach Santa Barbara


Rainbow Sculpture

On The Road Again...

Well I am back from Mississippi and home again in the land of fruit and nuts!

In all honestly I am exhausted. I had planned to read on the trip home - but instead I slept on and off and watched the movie. So now I have arrived home with my night and day all turned around.

Only a few more days and it is back to work at the new/old job(don't ask it is complicated?!?).

I have decided to make a little personal retreat before returning to work. My favourite place to kick back and relax - is at the beaches right here in San Diego. Since I have the opportunity 'get away' I am going to sieze it and drive up the coast to visit the beach in Santa Barbara.

My favourite part of the trip is on the edge of Ventura County when you turn the bend and all of a sudden the ocean and mountains appear. At that moment you are rewarded for persevering though all the traffic and the concrete jungle of L.A. and Ventura. No matter how many times I make the trip - turning this corner always takes my breathe away!

Turning The Corner

Airplane Reading

Today I flew from San Diego to Biloxi via Atlanta. I decided to use the time to catch up on some reading. For the San Diego leg I read several chapters of the book Head First Java. I generally find technical reading to be a necessary evil. I need to do it to keep my skills current so I can earn a living - but, it is the literally equivalent of eating saw dust. Dry and not very tastey. Fortunately, this particular book was actually more entertaining than most.

To reward myself for persevering through four hours of technical reading - I spent the second leg reading The Illumined Heart by Frederica Mathewes-Green. My flight out of Atlanta was delayed for several hours-- so I was able to finish the book in one sitting!

Here is a great quote from the book:

In communities, at work, but particularly in familes, people are put together in something like a three-legged race. God means us to cross the finish line together, and all the other people tied together with us play some part in our progress.

Bundled together in familes, a giant seven- or nine- or fifteen-legged pack, we seem to make very poor progress indeed, and fall to the ground in a bickering heap with some regularity. But God has put us together - has appointed each other person in your bundle specifically for you, and you for them. And so, "little children, let us love one another" with might and main, and keep hopping together toward the finish line.


I highly recommend another book by the same author - At the Corner of East and Now: A Modern Life in Ancient Christian Orthodoxy

I spent the early evening after my arrival on the internet checking out storm warnings. Looks like while I was in the air the Biloxi area opened storm shelters and was on alert for Tropical Storm #10. There was a newsman all day reporting from the beach across from where I am staying tonight with weather updates. There was some light rain today and there may be some heavy rain and thunderstorms tonight -- but looks like the storm has headed inland and is weakening!

September 11th

Today is September 11th. Hearing the date said out loud ushers in a sense of melancholy.

Today I want to take time to stop and remember the events of that day six years ago - not only to remember but to honour those who tragically lost their lives and their friends and families who were forever changed.

So ofen I go to work and sit there heads down at my computer for nine or ten hours - focused on the task at hand and secretly counting down the hours until I can escape. Today I do not want to race through my day as if it is a chore. I want to savour each minute of the day. To feel the sadness and to give thanks for my abundant blessings.

I decided at lunch today I would run an errand and head up to Encinitas to a funky bead shop called "Beads, Crystals and More". The owner behind the counter is greying and his thinning hair in a long pony tail. He has half a dozen beaded necklaces around his neck - and clearly the 60's were good to him. I enter a little nervous and out of my element - but with clear focus on my mission. My sister gave me a cool pendant last winter. I put it on the moment I opened the parcel and have worn it non-stop ever since. After months of continuous wear, the leather chain is worn and tattered and about to give way. The bead store lady, who looks like a modern day flower child, greets me and and in short order a new piece of leather is cut. In under 5 minutes and less than $5 I am heading out the door with my pendant around my neck.

pendant necklace


Since I have made the trek to Encinitas - I decide I might as well stay for a bit and enjoy lunch. Right across the street from the bead place is an outdoor restaurant called The Potato Shack. Perfect! I am in the mood to stray off the healthy eating path and enjoy some fries. It is a beautiful day - wonderful opportunity to sit outside to eat and enjoying the funky Encinitas vibe. I lived in Encintas for several years - this little mid-day trip is reminding me how much I miss the ecclectic grove here.

As I sit down to lunch I remember once again that today is September 11th. A quietness comes over me and I am transported back six years ago. I remember my drive to work that morning. I was rushing to make a mtg but found myself stuck in traffic in an area where there should not have been any traffic. I was grid locked for more than an hour - yet I never turned on the radio. There was this weird inexplicable feeling that something was terribly wrong - still I resisted turning on the radio to find out what. It wasn't until I arrived at work that I found out about the planes hitting the towers and that the weird traffic chaos was because the military installaions were on high alert and personnel had been ordered back to base. I remember that night coming home from work. Almost everyone had been sent home from work earlier in the day. Our company somehow pretended it was business as usual and so we worked out the day. When I left work there were no cars on the road, no one walking on the street, it was deserted. Everyone was huddled in their homes eyes glued to the T.V. watching the footage of the planes hitting the towers and the walls and walls of missing person posters. I too went home and turned on the TV and sat mesmerized by the images. In the six years since I have never again been able to bring myself to watch the footage from that day.

The lunch hour has gotten away from me and it is time to head back to work. I decide to drive back along the coast. There is something magical and healing in the beauty of the ocean and sand bluffs of our coast. As I drive I say a prayer for those who lost so much 6 years ago. I pray for peace and with a grateful heart give thanks for the hope of a new day.

Tonight I will watch the film The Guys. It the true story of a Fire Chief in NYC in the days following 911. No political overtones or shmaltzy sentimentality - just the true story of everyday people in extra-ordinary circumstances.

Site of the Twin Towers - Christmas 2006


Wall of Missing Person Posters at the WTC Visitors Center


Hope