Vay-Cay-Shun!

Hi!

Well. That was a busy four weeks away! And a most excellent four weeks it certainly was. Busybusybusy. And yet, this weekend was inevitable, the end has come, back to 'reality' and getting ready for work tomorrow........ Sigh. Ahhhhhh vacation, it was good while I had it! But at least the sun is shining happily, the birds are happy and chattering away (noisy little bastards first thing in the mornings), I'm happy to see the sun is actually up in the morning and not pitch dark like it was when I left. In a way it's good to be back, but I'd much rather be on vacation!

So work. Yes, well, I'm hoping it's fine, that I have a desk to come back to......... I mean, barring any major 'disaster' like the building burning down, but I haven't got a phone call or email so the building must still be there...... And I'm guessing I even have a job to go back to because I also haven't received that call either telling me not to bother...... Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

But yes, vacation. It was awesome but went too way quick. Started off withjust a couple days in San Diego. Helped Dad and his good friend Jose cook the big BBQ at the annual summer BBQ at Witch Creek Winery (cellar door) in Carlsbad. That was a great two days but crazy busy! Then Tuesday it was Happy Birthday to me with Dad, Linda, Bob, Amaru and Katie as we floated around Mission Bay on Bob's boat followed by Dads BBQ... That was awesome. A very nice, relaxing birthday - it was perfect.

The next day Dad I and were up before the sparrows to head to South Bend, Indiana (about two hours east of Chicago) to visit Grandma for almost a week. It was fantastic to see her and all the relatives looking so well and happy, especially the very recently retired Uncle Scott - couldn't get the smile off the man's face - lucky devil. I hadn't been back there in something

like eight years, so it was a long overdue visit. I was really happy to be there, great to see everyone and hang out. Even got to do a couple of touristy things - checked out the Studebaker Museum (very, very cool!), the South Bend Center for History museum (well, almost two of its really very interesting three floors), and toured the incredible 38 room Oliver Mansion, which was way cool, could've spent hours in there.

Then it was off to Tucson for a good week and a half to hang out with the family and friends. Man. That week and a half went by in what felt like just a couple of days. It went so incredibly fast. But it was great to hang out with Mom and Uncle Bret, and to catch up with Mom's friend Jamie (and her Mom Marie) over lunch at their favorite hangout Vivace's... And it was awesome of course to catch up with David over drinks at Maynards, Congress, Elliott's and Kon Tiki! It was also fantastic to catch up with Sheldon and Scarlet over a way awesome dinner at El Charro. And finally, better late than never, literally, it was awesome to catch up with Katie and Julie (thank you girls again for staying out so late past your bedtimes! And fingers crossed Julie passes her bar exam stuff and gets to be a real environmental lawyer!!!!!!!). In amongst all that wining and dining, I was also a good girl and even managed a visit to the dentist - happy teeth (note to self - for less time under the ol' scraping chisel, floss more....). And even got to check out the Desert Museum at night! Wow - cooooooool! It was a very happy but bloody busy week and a half, with mucho Mexican food - HOORAY!

Then it was off back again to San Diego for a week, where this time I had a little more time to catch up with Katie, finally! We went to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (serious noms in a seriously revitalized downtown, I hardly recognize the place!) and then went to see the very funny play Mix Tape (a hilarious stroll down 80s memory lane). Ahhhh, it was a great evening, but again, over too quick! Then managed to catch up and hang out with Amaru and his man Doug (a very cool guy and an awesome artist to boot, who's work graces my wall here in mah little apartment) over some totally bitchin' Mexican food at Pokez, followed by a lethal margarita at Fiesta Cantina (I knew I shouldn't've had even that tiny, second one........). That was an awesome afternoon. Again, over way too soon!

Then that weekend was really pretty cool and a bit spontaneous in that Dad and I decided to shoot over to one of his favorite spots - Las Vegas!!!!!!!!! Man, is that a dull drive, but way good to have your car once you're there; I remember from a previous visit that distances along the Strip are like mirages in its desert - muuuuuuch, much further than you think it is and you'll kill yourself trying to walk from one casino to the other, no matter how plucky and hydrated you feel. I've tried.

So we stayed at Rio, and the hilarious thing was, we got there on Saturday, right smack in the middle of the 12th annual, world's largest, Star Trek Convention, and it was being held right there in our hotel. And y'know what I just found out, that all the folks attending, in costume anyways, were there to break the Guinness World Record of "The most people assembled in one place in Star Trek regalia" and dammit if they won at 1,085. Goodness but that's devotion, and in the middle of the desert no less. Huh. I 'm pretty sure I saw nearly every major and minor character in the series just as we wandered around the hotel and casino. 'Course, I don't know what a third of them look like but lots of characters in full costume roamed the hotel in droves (and now I know why). It was actually pretty funny. Hey, it beat looking at the same tired ol' tourists!

And later that night we had an invite to a pretty cool, James Bond themed dinner (filet minion and martinis!) at the Paris Hotel and Casino, where they were giving away the prettiest white Aston Martin. Well, we obviously didn't win it, but it was a really cool evening all the same. Complete with Vodka/Gin martini bar carved entirely from ice! Coooooooool!

But yes, we managed to cram a hell of a lot in just over 24 hours. It was a lot of fun and I had a way better time than I did my last trip back in 2009 (when I was chaperoning those two silly co-worker girls from my previous job...... Those of you following along at home will remember........ ~shudder~ ). Oh! And speaking of spontaneous, I got to

catch up with an old high school friend, Tony, whom I hadn't seen, well, since high school! Wow! It was great to catch up, even if only for a couple hours! Could've easily hung around and talked all night. That was really cool to see him after so long. Yeah, sure, there's email and social media, and it helps, but standing there next to each other, sharing a couple drinks, that blows social media right out of the water. That was an awesome visit!

Then it was back to San Diego for only a couple of days and suddenly it was

time to get back on that damn plane - all too damn quick! But it was an awesome four weeks. I go to to do so much and see so many folks. I'm so happy I went. Now to save and plan for next year's visit! And I swear am going to get there yearly because, hell, if my neighbor, who's perpetually broke, can get to her motherland of Germany once a year, I bloody well can too, dammit! (Note to self - make and adhere to budget. For once).

So there you have it. I could bore you with even further details (ooooh, the foooooooood, and the Mexican foooooood!), but that's the bones of the trip. If I've forgotten something, I'll check in with it later I'm sure! So, to the folks I got to see, I'm so glad we got to catch up, you have no idea the little sparkle it gives me. They say vacation wears off after a couple days, especially once you get back into the ol' work-home routine, and while that's kind of true (who doesn't like to get up everyday when they feel like it?!), the memories of good times are still there and that's what it's really about. Yeah. So happy I could come up and hang out with everyone. And for folks I didn't get to see - I'll catch you next year - promise!!!!!!!!!!!!

BYE!
J!