Bakersfield

The beautiful burnt Bakersfield hills. HA. Just pigged out on Carl's (I would weigh 400 lbs. if I lived here), but I must say that their prime rib burger ROCKS.

 This is the long part of the trip that isn't that exciting, although because it is so very different from what I see in Washington, it is interesting to me to see different terrain. It seems so desolate and lonely. The desert has its own beauty I suppose, even Bakersfield.

I just took NyQuil, and NOT the non-drowsy kind, so I will be in a coma for a few hours. Nighty-night.

Surf Shop

Stopped at a surf shop on the way back, because that's what you do in Cali! I got some awesome smelling Hawaiian Pikake Jasmine hand/body lotion. I put some on and I keep smelling my hands. Caught a shot of an old Woody on the freeway too.

I'm feeling OK, hopped up on coffee and cold meds.

I have to go home.

Almost ready to go. I really don't want to go home. I like it here. Why can't I stay here? WHY? A hot shower made me feel a little better, and blogging keeps me sane, I don't know why. Keep me in your good thoughts today because it is a long trip back to prison. Ha. Oh, and I broke a nail shoving crap in my suitcase. It's a sign! I'm not supposed to leave! LOL!

You know me, I'll be blogging all day long to keep busy, so hopefully it will entertain you. I am going back 12 posts or so to try and answer all your comments, I'm a big slacker. Love to you all for putting up with me.

You are not going to believe this.

I'm sick. Not in the head smartasses, I have the flu or something. I woke up with a burning chest, a gurgling cough and a headache from hell. I also feel dizzy. I think its bronchitis. Terrific. I have a grueling 23-hour drive ahead of me, I won't be able to get to a doctor until Monday and I HAVE to go back to work. If I'm lucky, it will be a pneumonia by then. Who gets bronchitis in the middle of summer on vacation? ME. Fuck.

Vacation is over.

Damnit, I'm all teary-eyed, and have been all day. It's not just because my vacation is ending, but many things. I feel like so many chapters of my life are ending and/or changing. The house I am staying at is going to be sold and I grew up here. My grandpa isn't doing well, and I've already lost 3 family members recently. I don't want to go back home and continue to feel like I don't care whether I live or die. There are other things that have me down too, but I can't talk about that.

My job will end eventually, probably soon (it's a start-up company with the goal to be sold), and then what? A whole new life? I don't know. I don't know anything, do I? I have these wishes and dreams that don't seem possible. But you never know, I didn't think a 2-week vacation was possible either, then I had all these people help me. I just don't know which direction to go sometimes. Some things I just CAN'T stop thinking about, no matter how hard I try. When you lie in bed at night, what do you think about? I think about the same thing(s) every night.

A Cheerier Post

I'm just baking in the sun and swimming today, trying not to think of packing. Right now, I'm lying on my stomach on the lounge chair in the perfect position to blog! Hehe. The pics include the view I have right now of a cactus and my banana boat dark tanning oil, my dog coming up to my face wanting to know what I'm doing, my mom's friend's ADORABLE pooch Saydee May, and Belmont Shores in Long Beach where we were yesterday.

I'm hot, time to take a dip.

Last Day

Poo. Last day of vacation for me for probably a millennium. I don't want to go back to reality. It bites. I'm trying not to be depressed on my last day, but I have a lot running through my brain and it isn't all good. I'm glad I got to do this since I have been confined to my little house and little cubical for many years. I had not left WA state for 7 years. OK, I'm about to cry so I'm going to go for now.

Screamin'

OK I finally figured this video thing out. WARNING: This is frightening. Remember, I DON'T usually scream on rollercoasters, but because I was videotaping with the Crackberry, I had to have a death grip on it with both hands (I know, I'm a risk-taker) so I could not hold on to ANYTHING ELSE. I got tossed all over the place and it is just funny. I am a GIGANTIC freak. Have fun, I am bracing for the comments, and I know I bring this on myself.  I sound like a cow being mutilated. LOL!

Thankful for the Vacation

I am waiting in the car entertaining myself. Hehe. I straightened my hair again, so I am posting, like it or not. It is amazing how much more time you have to spend on your hair, etc. when you aren't having to race off to work. I could get used to this! I also took some sunset pics last night while I was kicking back on the patio. I should have used the good camera because it was so pretty.

Besides today, I only have one more day of vacation before we have to start driving back. I wanted to thank mom #1 and mom #2 for making this vacation possible for us! I have no good words to describe the appreciation. I just hope I can make it up to you some day. Big hugs and kisses!

We are on our way to my mom's friend Cathy's house for dinner and hilarious conversation. Cathy is a way cool lady who just cracks me UP. She works at Disneyland and got us some AWESOME perks. I owe you big too, Cathy! XOXO

I am going to the "Coffee Bean" either tonight or tomorrow because they have free Wi-Fi and I can't upload that video I promised on the Crackberry for some reason. So, stay tuned.

Knee Carnage

Here is my very swollen and bruised knee. Don't you feel sorry for me? Probably not, since I got it at Disneyland. I am also not the first blogger to post a bruise, Skwigg does it all the time, so NYAH.

It looks like it is now time for the relaxation part of the vacation, no? A little sunning, a little swimming, a little partaking of libations. No walkie walkie for me for a bit.

Done for a while.

I think I may have gotten amusement parks out of my system, at least for a while. I have a gigantic goose-egg bruise on my knee from slamming into the iron seat railing on Tower of Terror, my shoe popped off getting onto Thunder Mountain allowing me to slam my toes and fly forward. IT HURT REALLY BAD. I have new blisters and I hobble now at best. Yes, I had fun, but I'm thinking my next trip will be spa week with the girls because I'm old and broken.

I may lock myself in my bedroom away from everyone for the next two days. CrazyDogMama needs to regroup. I'm playing hell getting that Screamin' rollercoaster video to post, but you have to see it because you will either die laughing or deem me the dorkiest person on the planet. Which makes you wonder why exactly I want you to see it so bad? LOL. Just give me some time, I need collapse into a heap and sleep now.

Tower of Terror & Aladdin Actors

Tower of Terror is THE BEST. Who doesn't like falling down an elevator? LOL! It never gets boring because no matter how many times you ride, the drop will surprise you EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. and your stomach will go up into your throat. Good times. My purse went flying up in the air as well, even though the strap was around my arm. It is even fun to go through the line/queue because the theming and decorations are so damn cool. It's kind of like the haunted mansion, but with a "Twilight Zone" twist. It's a must-ride.

As we were walking around, all of a sudden "Aladdin" and "Jasmine" appeared, so we had to stop and get a pic. Here is Jim with the pretty lady and the pretty man. Jim looks frightened, doesn't he? LOL.

Splash Mountain

OMG I'm laughing so hard right now! Look at how WET my hair is!

This ride is such a HOOT! It's a good thing it is hot out today, because I am completely SOAKED from head to toe! I couldn't stop laughing when the tidal wave of water came over our log. I mean, it was insane. The heavier the log, the more likely to get soaked, so that doesn't go well for me, LOL.

I feel like a kid today, and it's a good feeling. I wish I could feel this way every day. I now have the theme song to this ride in my head and can't get it out. It's pretty silly. I'm silly.

Disneyland Again!

At Disneyland again, it is much cooler today. Thank God! I thought I was going to die last time. More pics to come!

The sign lies, they kick you out at midnight. :)

Mocha Frappuccino at the Coffee Bean!

I can tell by all the enthusiastic comments that my posts are thrilling you beyond belief. What can I say? I am a super exciting girl. To excite you further, I have captured the beauty of my new favorite coffee shop here in California, "The Coffee Bean", or as my mother calls it "The Green Bean" (She always gets words mixed up), which makes me laugh of course and make fun of her, which she loves. Haha.

Mocha Frappuccino, NUMMERS!

Lazy afternoon.

Everyone has been snoozing, including the dog. I love this time of the day here; it is cool and breezy with pretty sunsets.

The pics include the view from my bedroom balcony, the pool of course, and my lazy pooch. We had a late lunch at Carl's Jr., and now I'm hungry again. Crap.

Fancifying

It's all about my hair today. I straightened it, and since that takes so much time, y'all are gonna see it. I even did pig tails. Silly, I know. I also needed to inform the world that The Body Shop's Coconut Body Butter is the shizzle.

I'm going shopping today, that's why all the fancifying. LOL.

Ravioli, Nails & Skinny Dipping

It's kind of been a shit day, I hate to say. Welcome to my life. I'm not going to get into it because I want to salvage the rest of the night. I'm trying so hard to have a good time, but it's like I'm fighting the forcing of darkness, I swear!

Right now, I'm sitting out on the patio enjoying the warm evening breeze. As soon as it gets dark, I think I'll do the skinny-dipping thing again. I really need to move into a place with a pool, I like this naughty swimming thing. It is so freeing! The water is very still and very refreshing. I like to float on my back and look at the stars at night; it is so quiet and peaceful. It's really cold getting out, though! Yikes!

My stupid pictures are as follows: My dinner of ravioli in a tomato cream sauce with shrimp (from Biagio's!), and I am proud that I have not yet broken one single nail! This is a record! I know you will quickly copy those pics and use them as wallpaper, because they are so cool. Maybe I'll use them as wallpaper. It would be SO me to have ravioli as wallpaper. I'm mental. Not my fault.

Grumpy People

This would only happen to me!

Massive grumpiness abounds today. It's not me this time, surprisingly. I don't really know what to do. I guess I'll swim and spend a lot of time underwater to drown it all out. LOL. I could also bury myself in my laptop, play with the Crackberry, use my camera, go get coffee by myself, or any other number of distractions to keep out of the line of fire. That is my escape plan.

I know I am the one who is a grumpy ass most of the time, but on vacation I try not to be! Not now! However, there is some other force that seems to be at work to take me down, and I'm not having it! Help me. I think maybe I need to spend some time in prayer or something. Only God can fix my life, because I have certainly failed to. It just figures, doesn't it? GAH!

More Laguna Beach Photos!