Florida...

Florida.  Beautiful white beaches, sand like the softest sugar, a lovely morning walk along the beach with Kathie, Sam, Katie and Beckie. Taking photos, laughing, cameras from every which angle. Still pinching myself that everything is surreal.  Heck! I'm sharing a room with these Scrapbooking Goddesses, will anything ever feel normal again?  

The beach really is amazing, the sky so blue, even the birds astound me.  

And where else could I look up and see a pelican flying past.

As I write this we are kicking back on a lounger by the hotel pool and chilling, waiting for a boat ride where we will be out to photograph and see dolphins.  This is my view right now.

Back now from the Dolphin tour and I'm sorry to say the Dolphins must have heard the boatload of giggling gerties floating around in the boat that looked like a shark and they went into hiding.  No dolphins to be found. But stacks of photos of everyone on the boat.

After dinner and more group photos on the beach taken by some fellows that fancied themselves as scoop photographers, one in particular said he was getting his angles but I fear he may have photos of up our nostrils or big chins. 

Then onto the beach for some chats and drinks and I got my first taste of s'mores. Here I have a pic of Esther and Melissa prepping their marshmallows.  

And now tonight a present exchange which we are currently waiting for the rest to arrive and get ready for uproarious laughter.

Surreal

 I've arrived in Florida after the red eye flight from San Diego to Atlanta to change planes to Tampa.  It was pretty hard flying overnight from one coast to the other and losing three hours in the process.  

Gorgeous Myra from Designer Digitals was there waiting for us looking amazing as Esther and I walked up looking tired, dishevelled and bleary eyed.  She took us for breakfast and we started talking and haven't stopped.

We went on a bit of a Cook's tour and arrived at Clearwater with a scream as soon as we saw Linda and Sam and Lynnie.  Soon after more of the girls arrived and screams and hugs and seeing these girls faces come to life and hearing them talk and laugh and seeing them in 3D as opposed to flat pics on the computer screen has been amazing already.

The sand here at the resort is a blinding white and it's not like our sand, it's like castor sugar!  It's sooooo fine.  And the resort is so beautiful.  

The water is like tepid bath water.

Funny that Esther asked for some milk from room service for her and Sam, which doesn't seem to be the norm for supply to the rooms here, and a glass of milk was brought up which cost flipping $8!!!  Apparently $3 for the milk, $4 for the tray charge and $1 for the tip.  Expensive cows!!!  Here they are with their precious cargo...

We have talked and dined and talked and sat and talked and talked, you get the idea.  So not sure how much blogging I will get done but I'll try.

Good bye San Diego!!

Right this very minute we are sitting in the lobby  of our hotel, even though we have checked out this morning, the lovely ladies at Hotel Vyvant have told us to make sure we hang out here on the comfy couches.  As it happens there are some guests here who are mighty fine musicians who are having a jam session and entertaining us no end.  So this is a post on the run and you will have to make do with phone photos, I haven't had a chance to download the camera.

Today we went on our self made photowalk checking out some pretty impressive buildings in the city.   Loved this Gothic looking building, I'll have to check a map to work out what this building is.  

We also went for a wander through the US Grant hotel, which had more chandeliers than I could count.  The afternoon saw us heading down to Seaport Village to have lunch, what a view!!  

Onward to USS Midway for a tour which was really magnificent.  Can't believe how big this aircraft carrier is.  Yes I can see it from the dock, but once on board wow!  A total of 4500 sailors on board when it was in its hey day.  That's more people than the town I live in.

So that's where our day unravelled a bit.  There's (for want of a better word) pedi cabs down along the Harbour front.  Fellows cycling tourists around the waterfront and up into town.  Esther and I took one look at each other and thinking about the hill we had to walk up and when one of the cyclists asked us if we wanted a ride we shrugged and said yes.

We'll consider this, us two on the seat on the back of the bike and this spindly, shall we say aging fellow, starting to peddal.  Took him a little bit to get the steam up, and we were on our way.  Then ... He started.  On the conspiracy theories of September 11, the corrupt city officials, and other stories, I was actually ready for him to start telling us he was abducted by aliens.  All the while every time he turned around to talk to sum and this losing steam cycling up the hill, he would talk whilst spitting which Esther tended to cop.  All the while I was texting our friend Myra back and forth and we get a "Good Lord, walk woman!!!"

So we tell the now out of puff cyclist we are happy to get out, as we were at Little Italy, and he wouldn't hear of it, and kept cycling.  Gaaaaah!   We had to insist we wanted to eat there, so jumped out, thrust the money into his hand and up the street we almost tripped over ourselves to get away from him!  Dissolving into fits of laughter.

Had another delicious meal down at Little Italy and now listening to some incredible music from these wonderful musicians.  Fun fun, this is what travelling is all about, these funny little pockets of delight that create incredible memories.

Next stop, Florida!

Ole!!

Another lovely day in Sunny Southern California.  

We hit the road to an area called Historic Old Town.  Full of historic buildings, very proud people to show them off and a market place village type atmosphere in a riot of colours.  Lots of Mexican wares to buy and cowboy type things.  The colour really was a feast for the eyes, and of course like bower birds we were drawn to colourful shiny pretties!

We wandered without a care in the world, buying some trinkets, talking to stall vendors.  There was a fellow singing cowboy songs to the people and he asked Esther where she was from.  He immediately gave us a cowboy rendition of Waltzing Matilda, with a wink and twinkle in his eye!

I was quite entranced by all the skeleton figures, and was told they were still there from The Day of the Dead, which was what the Mexicans call Halloween.  The fact that there were many skeletons dressed up as brides and grooms puzzled me, and I was told that many couples marrying have this as their theme.  What the??

Found ourselves a lovely little cafe and enjoyed a Mexican lunch sitting in the sun listening to the Mexican music, just delightful.   The man at the next table hooted with laughter the moment the waitress put our meals down and we three immediately dived for our big girl cameras and started clicking madly at the food.  He said the rate we were going our food would be cold by the time we ate it!  I think I distinctly heard him say to his wife "honey dive in quick when we get ours, lest they want to photograph ours too!!"

We continued looking around Old Town and I really like this photo of the three of us.  Definite firm friends for life.  You were actually lucky you didn't get a piccy of my butt there!  I had the timer on 10 seconds and had to run around a verandah post up onto the verandah ready for my Debi embrace.  :-)

The afternoon went by waaaaay too quick and soon we were back at the hotel and we three were a blubbering mess on the footpath hugging and saying goodbye to dear sweet Debi.  It struck me, is this the last time we will see this dear lady face to face?  I'm even tearing up as I type this.  I know that forever more when we interact on our forums and through our gallery at Designer Digitals that I will not be able to read her posts without hearing her voice, and her laugh, and her know of her caring nature.  And likewise seeing her scrapbook pages, I will know this person more so than I thought I knew her before.  Wow.  Pretty deep stuff.

I know you will be reading this Debi.  Love you soul sister! xx

Day 3 in San Diego

Started today with a RUN!!!  Yahooooo.  Both Esther and Debi decided to come with me.  Here we are setting out and stretching!!!  Ha

 I will preface this by saying that running on holidays does not induce a fast time, because I kept having to stop and take photos!  Absolutely loved this run along the Harbour front where there were about 8 tall ships docked, a magnificent site.  

Looking a little hot and sweaty here...

Along the waterfront to the USS Midway, a gigantic aircraft carrier.  There were a number of navy vessels around the Harbour which I soon found out was an entire navy area.  And I will admit that as we were running and hearing Reveille sound out across the Harbour then followed by the Star-Spangled Banner I got a little teary at the enormity of it all.

I called out a cheery good morning to a number of sailors on the various ships and waved to them, often getting a good morning and a wave back, apart from two snooty sailors which had the girls falling about laughing as they were statues up on the Midway deck!

There is a park there which has a tribute to Bob Hope, beautiful bronze figures of wounded soldiers and sailors with a bronze figure of Bob Hope entertaining them, and piped around the circle of figures was Bob Hope doing his routine.  Kept thinking how much my dad would love this, as he loved Bob Hope.

There's another huge statue here in this area reminiscent of a moment when the sailor came home from the war and saw his sweetheart. Wish I had included a point of reference as to the size as it's huge.

Then spent the morning at Balboa Park which saw Debi quite alarmed when she heard Esther and I scream which turned into squeals of delight when we saw a squirrel, then another and another.  Do I dare even own up to the amount of photos we took of these darn squirrels and we hadn't even reached the zoo yet! 

We stumbled onto a little Spanish Craft Village with lots of artisans, really unique things.  I bought a little giftie for one of my girls from an old timer selling gem products.  Such an old fashioned guy, when he was looking for his pen he called it a "writing stick" !!!

This afternoon was spent at San Diego Zoo, absolutely amazing.    I loved the pink flamingos (don't they get tired??), the panda, the zebra, we found a rhinoceros I'm sure that was on Red Bull, charging up his enclosure stirring up the dust and really showing off, the gorillas, just everything, such a beautiful zoo.  The afternoon went way too quick.

Started wandering back at closing time and it got dark really quick so we spent some time on top of the bridge looking back across the highway, or was it freeway, to the buildings of the city, practicing our night photography.  Poor Debi had to look away seeing Esther's camera balancing precariously on the hand railing!  My photos weren't much chop but you get the general idea here how pretty it looked.

Oh, and yes ... Debi is still here!  She was having such fun she extended another day and isn't going home until tomorrow, how lucky we are.  

A delicious meal at an Indian Restaurant tonight, thanks to Esther and her Groupon detective work.  Yum yum!  

And now back at Hotel Vyvant to update pics and blog.  Three friends sitting here clicking away, a bit of chatter but mostly companionable silence, which envelopes us in a bond we will have forever more.

Look left !!!

You know when in London you hear the catch phrase in the tube 'MIND THE GAP' ... well I swear the catch phrase for this trip for me will be 'LOOK LEFT'.  Poor Debi, she has to call this out almost every time I cross a road as I am automatically looking right for the traffic and have nearly come a cropper!

Today was magnificent.  La Jolla.  I am going to liken it to Lorne or Apollo Bay with beautiful coastline and quirky seaside shops and restaurants.  We wandered down the beach and chatted to some locals.  Never one to miss an opportunity we found a round the corner mirror...

And the best part of La Jolla was as we parked we got out of the car to look at the view and saw a colony of Sea Lions.  I was entranced, watching them frolick in the water, sun ake and loll about on the rocks, pushing each other off the good spaces on the rocks and calling their big honking calls.  It was MAGIC!!  I could have watched them all day.  They were magnificent.

After a delicious lunch of yet another fantastic salad we went back to San Diego to an old west festival and found ourselves dressing up for a photo.  Haven't laughed so much, hey Mike there's a Davy Crockett hat!!!

After more wandering we ended up over the bridge to Coronado Island and wandered along the beach.  Again meeting more locals including the Sandcastle Man.  He makes the most amazing sand castles for the pure enjoyment of others.  I loved them, this was one of two magnificent structures.

Then headed over to the Hotel Del Coronado.  This place was like out of a big old fashioned movie, in fact it was where 'Some like it Hot' was filmed.  It truly was magnificent, the lobby was all oak walled with a big chandelier.  Beautiful.  The hotel was huge so I'm going to have to rely on this small section of it.

So tonight after a full day sightseeing and a small but of sunburn, we ended up down at Little Italy where we had the yummiest authentic Italian meal.  It was so funny, I decided to have a wine tonight for the occasion, now it don't drink very much as a rule.  I had to laugh when the wine came in regular ol' drinking glasses!  The lasagne I am going to have to say was the best lasagne I've ever tasted.  Yum!

And so now we find ourselves completely worn out, totally satisfied with very happy bellies and huge grins on our faces for all the memories we've already shared and I know there will be tears tomorrow as our friend Debi will be heading back to LA.  We've just face timed Mike which was great seeings my phone doesn't seem to want to ring him, grrrrr.  I have totally screwed with Lucky's mind, poor little boy, he came up to lick the screen of Mike's phone when he heard my voice.   Onward to tomorrow.

Hi hi from America

Just posting from my phone so forgive any niceties in formatting.  The Thelma and Louise trip has started in earnest.  After a 14 and a half hour flight with very little sleep we arrived at 6.30am (thankfully the day AFTER the shooter went on a shooting spree in the next terminal at LAX).

We were met by our lovely friend Debi (who whilst planning this Thelma and Louise adventure has been referred to as Ethel!!) and have been on the go ever since only dropping into bed right now at 11pm. Absolutely certifiably knackered!!!

Debi aka Ethel is with us for these first days of our adventure and mind you we've never met Debi in real life before ... we three are on the wonderful Designer Digitals Creative Team for our digital Scrapbooking.  Well we haven't stopped talking for over 15 hours! Who'd believe that??

Here we are having wandered around Balboa Island giggling and being quite amazed at the Halloween decorations which were still up.  Love this pic.

We then headed down to a place I have had on my bucket list for a long time, to see San Juan Capistrano Mission.  It is absolutely GORGEOUS!

That is just one pic I took on my phone, I'll add a couple more from my big girl camera later.

Kept driving south and here we are in San Diego for four days. Weather is fantastic.  We ate at Little Italy tonight and I had a magnificent salad which was so delicious. Have no idea what was in the dressing ... but YUM!

Thank goodness an extra hours sleep tonight as day light savings finishes tonight.  Snooooooze!!