Monterey Bay

This past weekend was spent in one of the most beautiful little towns in California. Monterey! If you haven't been there, you must put it on your "Must See" list. Let's recap, shall we?

We left bright and early Friday morning. Map, coffee, croissants, 2 happy babies and 3 adults. We headed up the 1 so we could take in as much scenery as possible. This route takes you along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Along the way we saw elephant seals, Hearst Castle (holy shit it's huge), plunging cliffs, rocky shoreline, Big Sur and plenty of water.  It is an amazingly scenic drive but not for the faint of heart. We had high hopes of stopping every 1/4 mile to take in the views and snap lots of pictures, but unfortunately Declan & Alyssa had other plans. Always let sleeping babies lie where they are at! The whole trip up the coast took about 5 hrs. By the end, we were road weary and carsick.

Immediately after arriving, Tanya and I headed into town for some booze and clam chowder while Thomas studied. In case you aren't "in the know" Monterey is supposedly famous for it's clam chowder. Personally, I thought it was Boston but I digress. After our dinner, we picked up Tom and headed straight to the beach to take in the sunset. Public Service Announcement: Don't take booze to Asilomar State Beach because there are no public restrooms.

Saturday morning we packed up the kiddies and headed to the Pacific Grove street fair. Unfortunately there were no beer tents. But I did get a $15 carne asada burrito. Then it was off too the the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I am serious when I tell you that there were 3 bazillion people there with their 2 bazillion brats. After about an hour of staring at jellyfish and sea otters while battling for space amongst screaming youngsters we decided that to save our sanity it would be best to find recreation elsewhere. And where else but the bar!! After several Corona's and shrimp cocktails we made our way over to Cannery Row for some shopping and ice cream. Then it was off to the beach for sandcastles. After a very looooong day, we headed back to the hotel to put the kids to bed and enjoyed some Monterey chardonnay. Yummmmmm....

On Sunday morning, Thomas and I went for breakfast. Afterwards, we all headed for Fisherman's Wharf to sample more clam chowder and chardonnay. Some crazy man tried to put his parrots on the kids heads and scared the living shit out of them. Then he wanted a tip. WTF? Afterwards we headed over to yet another beach for more fun in the sun. By 3 pm we were all exhausted and decided to head home.

While I love my child with all my heart. I can't help but wish Tom and I could have taken in Monterey without Declan. There is so much to do there for adults. Lot's of nice restaurants, golfing and drinking! Pebble Beach and Carmel are just down the road, and the trip through Big Sur cannot be missed. It needs to be experienced in a convertible with lot's of stops along the way! I highly recommend Monterey as a romantic vacation destination!

Next up is a trip to San Diego to hit up the ol' stomping grounds. Looks like we will be headed back to Colorado mid-May so we need to get to the beach as often as possible!

My Favorite Show

Today we're going to talk about my favorite TV show! NBC recently announced their 08-09 lineup and thank God, Mary and baby Jesus Friday Night Lights is returning for season 3!

If you're not watching FNL you are missing out. So, what you need to do is to get thee to the local Blockbuster and rent season 1. Or watch it online. Then, you can either watch season 2 on NBC.com or wait for it to be released on DVD this summer. I promise you will be hooked and definitely not disappointed. This show needs your love.

First, let me tell you what FNL is not. It is not generation Y's 90210. In no way is this show meant for teenyboppers, despite the fact that the storyline revolves around a high school football team. I promise that even if you don't enjoy (or even like) football you will still love this show.

What FNL is, is quite possibly the best show currently on TV. Even the critics love it! Unfortunately, no one is watching . Please explain to me why people are watching crap like "Dancing with the Stars" but not FNL??? I swear good taste is dead. Low ratings threaten to end the show every season. Fortunately for me (and now you!) FNL does seem to have a solid (and rabid) fan base who managed to salvage it for another season.

Why do I love this show so much? The list goes on and on and on...... I love Coach Eric Taylor and his relationship with his wife Tami. I love Riggins and Landry and definitely Saracen. If you watched the show you'd know what I was talking about. Each character is so lovable, and played by incredible actors with incredible writing. I love that every week you fall in love a little more with each character as you learn a bit more about them. Is Riggins the typical jock from the wrong side of the tracks? Nope. Is Tyra the town slut? No to that as well. And this show has the best looking cast of leading men, like, ever. Kyle Chandler is the hotness, as is Taylor Kitsch.

I cannot explain this show well enough to do it justice.  And don't laugh at me please. My love for this show reminds me of Stacy's love for the New Kids on the Block. I will shove it down your throats until you are watching! 

California Love

So, I've been in California now for about 3 weeks. It feels so strange to be back in the state that I called home for awhile. California will always represent some of the best years of my life. And of course the place where I met and fell in love with my husband! I've missed being so close to the ocean, and having palm trees in my backyard. I've missed Trader Joe's, fish n' chips at the Oceanside Harbor, the smell of bougainvillea and eucalyptus trees.  

What I haven't missed is the traffic, the high cost of gasoline, the crowds everywhere you go and shitty apartment living. California is a great place to live when you're young and not too concerned about anything but scraping by and living off of Taco Bell & Corona's. Seriously. I don't understand how people can make a life for themselves in this state. How does one get ahead when the worst house in the neighborhood STILL costs $500K????? Most people in this area commute an hour or two every day to get to work. I just don't get it.

We are currently living in a small, farming community called Lompoc. It's exactly one hour north of Santa Barbara in central California. This is by far one of the most beautiful parts of the country I have ever seen. We are surrounded by emerald green mountains that reach right to the ocean. This whole valley is filled with vineyards, wineries and flower fields. The sun shines (almost) everyday. And there is hardly any development in this area so it is all wild, federally protected land. Everyday I hear of warnings about rattlesnakes and mountain lions at local parks. Yikes.

Lompoc is exactly 10 square miles. We have 4 grocery stores, one Walmart, a dozen taco shops and every fast food restaurant one could desire. Well, except for El Pollo Loco, which of course is the only one I want. So, in a nutshell, Lompoc is a microcosm of any other city in Cali. Except for the fact that there isn't much to do here. Scratch that. There's NOTHING to do here. The closest mall is in Santa Barbara, which is an hour drive. And when you have a toddler that will only allow for 10 min car rides, shopping is pretty much ruled out. I'd head to the local wineries, but I'm not sure that would be appropriate on a Thursday afternoon with a child. Or would it??

So, I've been keeping busy doing a whole lot of nothing. Thankfully Thomas only works 4 days a week. Next weekend we are headed up the coast too Monterey. We plan on taking the scenic route along Big Sur. I can't wait! We also have a trip planned to Sequioa Nat'l Park. And hopefully San Diego and San Francisco. 

Looks like we will be here for another couple of months. I am looking forward to getting back to Colorado, but am enjoying this opportunity for now.