Ryan's Visit

Ryan and I are separated in age by four years. In case you didn't know (or couldn't guess), I'm the older child. Ryan's good friend Jason (also an "oldest child") constantly mocks Ryan for coming in second. He even sent us both an article about a study showing the academic superiority of first-borns and constantly challenges Ryan with big words like "fireplace" and "sunshine."

Four years may not seem like much now, but they were a big deal growing up. We've only lived together for fourteen years, and she didn't even talk for part of it. For the other part, she was still gullible enough to fall for whatever I wanted her to believe. At one point, she thought I had magical powers and could shrink or grow at will or locate lost objects with only my mind. We played games like Princess and Slave (you can imagine how that went) or Restaurant, and I would try to order items that weren't (or never could be) on her menu ("Hmmmm...I don't think I am interested in the peanut butter and jelly or the cup of juice. Do you have any roasted duck?").


It wasn't exactly an equal relationship.

These four years were an enormous gap when we were children. Ever since, however, they have been shrinking. I remember the first time I was shocked to discover that Ryan was a real PERSON, with her own thoughts and personality. It must have been after she went to college. (Who is this?! ) We've been rediscovering each other ever since. The best part is that I love the person my sister has become.


It has been really comfortable and very exciting to have Ryan in town - the best of family AND friends. I worked only half days most of the week and took Monday off so we could hang out. I took her everywhere, all around San Diego, from Old Town and the Gaslamp to Del Mar and Torrey Pines. We enjoyed the South Park Walkabout in our neighborhood, the Wild Animal Park, and tapas in La Jolla. We topped it all off with a day at the spa in Glen Ivy....aahhhhhhhhhhhhh. We're already planning my trip to New York! All of this fun, and I didn't even have to con her into doing by bidding....imagine that!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

So, how's THIS for an Easter bonnet?!Happy Easter, everyone! And, for my non-Easter-celebrating friends - Happy Spring!!!

Lately, the most exciting thing we've done is to get our house in order. And, let me tell you - sometimes there's nothing more fulfilling.

Using Ryan's upcoming visit as our deadline, we've worked nonstop to put the finishing touches on our home project. We've finally taken the paintings out of their boxes and put them on the wall, instantly transforming the space into something far more interesting. We bought plants for the inside and out - palms, birds of paradise, kangaroo paws, a dwarf lemon tree. (Being the conscientious Californians that we are, we promise to plant natives in the canyon in the fall, but, for now, we'll indulge in some tropicals for the patio and deck.) We are topping all of this with some refreshing, renewing and dechaoticizing Spring Cleaning.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

This blog is often about overturning our prior preconceptions and misconceptions San Diego living. So, keeping with this theme, I have to admit that I didn't expect spring to be anything too amazing. After all, winters here are lush and green, thanks to the rains. I didn't think anything could outdo that. I was wrong. Spring has definitely sprung in San Diego.

The world outside our doors is exploding with color. Red, orange and yellow nasturtium grow semi-wild around our house and in the canyon, giving us the most gorgeous flowers for bouquets. A Dr. Seuss-like tree with red puff balls all over it has burst into bloom, sending the hummingbirds and bumblebees into ecstasy.

The ice plants along the canyon have erupted in a carpet of pink-purple flowers. Plants we had given up for dead have resurrected and, amazingly, produced the most beautiful blossoms. To top it all off, the weather is no less than perfect - 73 degrees, sun shining, low humidity.

What can you do but be glad?!

If ever there were a time to visit, this is it! San Diego is as perfect as a place can be, and this house is finally our home. Please come stay in our newly-rearranged guest room (much better feng shui!!). You won't regret it!

Remodel

Spring forward!

Like all of you, this morning we awoke to find that we had lost an hour. As annoying as it was that our day off had shrunk even by 60 minutes, it is exciting to think that it is actually spring! Who knew? It has been 65 degrees here for months....Now, though, we can look forward to the days growing longer, to the opportunity to take Mishka to the dog park at night and to evening walks and later sunsets.

Except that it has felt like our days have been shrinking for weeks now. It is almost like every day is daylight savings, each day springing forward, hours slipping into black holes. There is so much we want to accomplish, and we seem to get less and less of it done (especially with respect to the house). Maybe we're playing too hard...

So one of the things I have been meaning to do is update this blog. There's much to share! A few weeks ago, we went to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a fun skiing/snowboarding trip with a bunch of friends (including Sharon, Brook, Shane, Joyce and Greg). Geoff snowboarded a few days but then switched to skiing, which he grew up doing. He went with the boys (and Sharon) to shred the crazy back country powder while Joyce and I stuck to the safety of the greens. I got better at snowboarding (thanks to my excellent and patient instructor Gina) and managed not to maim myself. I learned to turn, finally, so now my quads don't burn out so fast from traversing the mountain on my heel edge (except when it gets scary steep - then I revert). I still look like a doofus, though. I haven't mastered the awesome nonchalance of the really good snowboarders yet, but I'm working on it. In the meantime, I'm planning on faking it by getting really cool gear. We are trying to go again one last time at the end of the month, so hopefully I'll get better.

Last weekend I was in San Francisco for my college buddy Sonia Bakkour's 8th birthday. That's right - 8. No, she isn't a child prodigy. She's a leap year baby!!! February 29 only happens once every 4 years, so I HAD to be there! I got to meet her wonderful boyfriend Chris and many friends I have known by name for years and only now got to meet. One such friend Sara (pictured to the right of Sonia in the photo by the ocean) graciously showed us around San Fran and took us to the hottest spots for brunch, including Boulette's Larder. Yummtastic (though the snooty lady informed me of their no photos policy...well excuuuuuuuuze me! I managed to snap a few before her big announcement, though). It was my first trip to San Francisco, so I loved seeing the city from across the Golden Gate Bridge and the views of Alcatraz, which I had recently learned more about in Surviving Alcatraz on National Geographic. I missed Geoff and Mishka, though. Turns out I really like my little family.

Meanwhile, all of the outside construction has been going on and finally was completed last week. We had our old patio and deck torn out and replaced, and now we are officially the party house of San Diego. Seriously, the open floor plan combined with the fact that we have at least five different places to eat makes us the ideal dinner party spot! We can't wait to get the outside furniture and start having everyone over...now don't you want to be one of our guests?!

BANG, BANG!!

I haven't had a hair cut since....well, Winston-Salem. (And it wasn't like I got it cut right before leaving, either.)

I did reach a point around November where I couldn't take the ratty, crumbling split ends anymore, so I drew my hair above my head and lobbed off the offending inch or so while looking in the mirror.

Since that episode, though, my hair has just been degenerating deeper and deeper towards my natural state: chaos. This is the point in the past where my godmother Naila has intervened physically to schedule and prepay a haircut for me. "You look like a graduate student," she informed me frankly. Never mind I was a graduate student at the time - even I could recognize the depths to which I had sunk.

So, it has happened again. Not even the beautiful people of So Cal could shame me into taking care of myself before last night. Under the guise of not having found a hairdresser in this new town, I have avoided this essential grooming ritual. Finally, my friend Greg took away my last excuse - he recommended his hairdresser Amy Rodriguez at Pixie Salon, a cute place in my neighborhood. I called her and got an appointment the next day.

Sick of my default hair style (long, parted on the side, sort-of layered), I polled family and friends for a new look. Two people voted for bangs, the rest were wishy-washy. I've had the side-swept bangs and the short short bangs over the past decade, but I haven't had the straight, thick eyebrow-brushing bangs that is the quintessential haircut for little girls since I was 7. In the picture above, I'm about 5 years old, posing with my grandmother's glasses on her deck in Pittsburgh. Looking for a change, I decided to return to those times.

Geoff was shocked but likes it. My labmates seem to like it (or they're being really nice). What do you think?!