Monday, July 14, 2008

I think my jet lag has kicked in. It's 11PM and I'm eating a pb&j, wide awake, and still so very hungry. If I were still in the Bay Area of California, we would be in some manner, eating dinner. Just starting, in the middle, or contentedly patting our bellies.

This was my first trip away from my family since Sophie was born and I had to marvel at the contents of my travel bag. Please note the absence of sippy cups, children's books, stuffed animals, crackers, and diapers.


This morning at 8:45, my plane landed in Lexington after spending 4 days in the Berkeley/San Francisco area of California. My best friend is getting married and it was time for her shower a la maid of honor, so with the help of 4 of her amazing friends in Cali, we planned an amazing day. Spa, dinner, slumber party complete with our own homespun version of Karioke (Nancy on piano, the rest of us belting out Bon Jovi and Belinda Carlisle songs) and lots and lots of laughs.

But first, I got to spend two days alone with my dear friend. I finally met her fiance (Shame on me for not doing so earlier!!) We had amazing food. We drove across one bridge to get to another and gazed through the fog at the city that we could not see. We went to Stinson Beach (freezing cold) and to downtown Berkeley and had really amazing meal after amazing meal. And I finally visited City Lights and bought a bumper sticker that reads, "Howl if you *heart* City Lights".

I went to California when I was 14 - to this area, in fact - but one can imagine my experiences this time were vastly different. I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of people in the area and the traffic made me want to curl up in the fetal position and whimper. But what a time!

We saw this:


And we ate here:


And we got this done:


And were thoroughly pampered in our one-size-fits-all Spa robes:


I got to meet Carrie's A.MAZ.ING California friends:


Have a fabulous slumber party: (this is Nancy, Lisa, and Jac making breakfast and yes we were all up in time)


And I got to spend time with my best, beautiful, amazing friend.



I am glad to be home. Glad to hold my little girl and snuggle with my husband. Glad to be in an area with a slightly slower pace of life. But so very grateful for a 4 day vacation, shot of perspective, and introduction to 5 truly remarkable individuals.

Best of all, now I get to look forward to the wedding - in Newton this September! - and seeing everyone again!

10 comments:

The Pinwheel Princess said...

Hey pretty girl! Looks like you had an even more amazing time than you had anticipated!
Your toes look great! :o) Is it funny that I know which are yours???
I hope all else is wonderful with you!

Anne and Leigh said...

Hey Sweetie!! So glad you are home safe, and cant wait to get together over a bottle of wine and hear all about your amazing trip! The pics look great, and so does Carrie.

Love ya!

-Anne

Nikki said...

I am so happy you had a great time!! I'm glad you got to go and spend some time with Carrie and meet the future husband. :) We sure did miss you though and we are so excited to have you back!

beinmyOWNself said...

:) looks like you had a blast, hon! nice on the granny panties, lol

Leigh said...

I love the pic of you and Carrie! I am so glad you had a blast. I cant' wait to get together with some wine and great food and catch up. We have lots to catch up on!! Glad you are home safe. HUGS!!

Leigh

Claire said...

I dream of having a travel bag look just like yours someday.

Those days will come again soon.

I hope.

Modernicon said...

Vacation has a way of resetting all the clocks. While I know it is long, this one if for you

Lawrence Ferlinghetti - Wild Dreams Of A New Beginning
There's a breathless hush on the freeway tonight
Beyond the ledges of concrete
restaurants fall into dreams
with candlelight couples
Lost Alexandria still burns
in a billion lightbulbs
Lives cross lives
idling at stoplights
Beyond the cloverleaf turnoffs
'Souls eat souls in the general emptiness'
A piano concerto comes out a kitchen window
A yogi speaks at Ojai
'It's all taking pace in one mind'
On the lawn among the trees
lovers are listening
for the master to tell them they are one
with the universe
Eyes smell flowers and become them
There's a deathless hush
on the freeway tonight
as a Pacific tidal wave a mile high
sweeps in
Los Angeles breathes its last gas
and sinks into the sea like the Titanic all lights lit
Nine minutes later Willa Cather's Nebraska
sinks with it
The sea comes over in Utah
Mormon tabernacles washed away like barnacles
Coyotes are confounded & swim nowhere
An orchestra onstage in Omaha
keeps on playing Handel's Water Music
Horns fill with water
ans bass players float away on their instruments
clutching them like lovers horizontal
Chicago's Loop becomes a rollercoaster
Skyscrapers filled like water glasses
Great Lakes mixed with Buddhist brine
Great Books watered down in Evanston
Milwaukee beer topped with sea foam
Beau Fleuve of Buffalo suddenly become salt
Manhatten Island swept clean in sixteen seconds
buried masts of Amsterdam arise
as the great wave sweeps on Eastward
to wash away over-age Camembert Europe
manhatta steaming in sea-vines
the washed land awakes again to wilderness
the only sound a vast thrumming of crickets
a cry of seabirds high over
in empty eternity
as the Hudson retakes its thickets
and Indians reclaim their canoes

kclblogs said...

looks wonderful, especially the travel bag!

Rae said...

What an absolutely glorious time! I know when I see you, you'll be carrying the mom purse instead, but I'm sure we'll still have a great time -- no matter how short it may be. I can't wait to see you!!

Rae said...

What an absolutely glorious time! I know when I see you, you'll be carrying the mom purse instead, but I'm sure we'll still have a great time -- no matter how short it may be. I can't wait to see you!!